


The Seventh Siren

by SpudLord



Series: The Seventh Siren [1]
Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, BDSM, Borderlands: Borderlands 2, Consensual Sex, Daddy Kink, Eridians, Eventual Smut, F/M, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Polygamy, Pregnancy, Tales From the Borderlands, a lot of smut, not cannon, will probably add more later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:40:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 311,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23550070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpudLord/pseuds/SpudLord
Summary: Jack has made his way to the Warrior, and just as the Vault Hunters are about to kill him, something happens. The mythical Seventh Siren appears - the "Heart of Pandora" as she's rumored. Saving Jack, she leaves Lilith with a warning to leave Jack alone.After saving him, she's caught in a failed assassination attempt where she meets Rhys Strongfork. With this newfound alliance, she finds that she needs to overcome her own personal trauma while helping Jack and Rhys bring order to the universe.But not everything is as it seems.I'm really bad at summaries.This is a mushy three-way (consensual) love story with a few conflicts.Also: This is a slight AU where Jack kind of returns to himself before the whole "Handsome Jack" persona came out, but he'll still retain some of those qualities.Warning: Contains non-consensual themes; talk of rape/drug use/etc.
Relationships: Handsome Jack (Borderlands)/Original Character(s), Rhys/Original Character(s)
Series: The Seventh Siren [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1906450
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The first few chapters are mostly dialogue to set up the beginning of the story. I know it's probably boring, but I promise it'll pick up.

"How in the hell have you killed my Warrior?!" Jack's screams echoed out throughout the Vault.  
"Because it wasn't yours to begin with," A whimsal voice echoed, causing Lilith and the Vault Hunters to stop in their tracks.  
"Who's there?!" Lilith screamed out, holding her arm over her stomach, eridium pulsing through her body as her blue tattoos lit up.  
"I am not your enemy unless you make me one," The voice rang out again as a bright, purple light shined from where the Warrior fell into the lava. Within seconds, the Warrior roared to life, climbing out of the lava, splashing it everywhere.  
"I knew you didn't kill my Warrior, you filthy bandit," Jack laughed, holding his wounds across his stomach tightly, trying to prevent himself from bleeding out.  
As Jack finished speaking, the purple light lit up the Vault, the Warrior growling loudly as it started to crack, the light coming directly from the soft spot on its chest. "What the..." Maya said as a rather small figure against the giant Warrior burst through its chest.  
"I have no intention of killing you," Was the first words made from the petite figure, her long, black, wavy hair flowing around her as her entire body held a purple glow, tattoos adorning nearly every inch of her skin. "After all, I am the one who called you all here," Setting her bare feet down on the hot ground, she seemed unphased by the heat, her hair still flowing as the light dimmed, but didn't fully disperse.  
"A Siren?!" Lilith and the Vault Hunters cried out, picking up their guns.  
"Not just "a Siren"," The petite figure said, blinking her glowing eyes. "The heart of Pandora. The original Siren," She said, flashing her white teeth at them. "And, I am afraid I cannot allow you to kill Jack. I am not done with him," She said darkly, flashing a glare to Lilith that shook the Firehawk to her bones. With a snap of her fingers, Jack's body started breaking away, particle by particle, as if he were Fast Traveling. "W-What are you doing to me?! THE Handsome Jack?!" Jack yelled out, demanding an answer despite his feeling... Odd.  
"After all he's done, you're going to let him go?!" Lilith screamed out as Zer0 aimed his sniper rifle at Jack, shooting just as Jack fully disappeared, his mask clattering to the ground. Approaching the petite figure, Lilith and Maya both stormed up to her. "Do you have any idea what he's done?" Lilith continued as Maya readied her hand to phaselock the mysterious Siren.  
"Oh, I am fully aware. I am the one who showed him to this path, after all," She said, flashing a smile as her glowing eyes flickered over to Maya, her pale grey iris barely showing through the glow. "Using your powers on me will be pointless," She said as Maya held her hand out, ready to phaselock, causing her to pause as the burst came out of her hand, but nothing happened. Second laters, the lava surrounding them thundered as a burst of energy shot out from the "Heart of Pandora" Siren, sending everyone slamming against the walls behind them. "I warned you," She shrugged, walking over to the Vault key as the Warrior roared lowly, watching them all, ready to attack if needed, the wound in its chest already closed back up by its rocky exterior. Kneeling down, she held her glowing hand over the Vault Key, summoning up the map of all the Vaults to everyone. "Pay attention, because I'm not going to repeat this even once," She said, pointing to the map. "You can indulge all you want in these, but I advise you strongly that you destroy the key instead. If you don't, it will cost a few of you your lives," She continued, glancing at Maya, causing the other Siren to shiver from her glance.  
"Is that a threat?" Lilith eventually coughed out, using the wall behind her to stand up.  
"You can take it as one," She said, shrugging her shoulders. "I gave you your powers, what you do with them is on you, but be wary, since I have been locked away for many years, I only feel the bad intentions with the pair coming to Pandora soon."  
"Wait - Blessed us with our powers?" Lilith questioned. "Are you the Legendary... seventh Siren?" She asked quietly, her eyes widening as a smirk flickered across the figure's lips.  
"That would be me. The mother Siren. The heart... Of Pandora," She announced, holding her purple hand up as the Warrior stepped closer, ready to attack. "Who do you think the unprocessed Eridium comes from? Who do you think created the Sirens?" She questioned, putting her arm down as the Vault Hunters all aimed their guns at her, ready to attack. "Attack me, and I will strike you down where you stand," She threatened, her voice now full of malice, growing bored of their guns pointing at her. "I see you Vault Hunters have not matured a bit since the last time I was out; always ready to attack the most powerful one in the room," She taunted, pulling the Vault Key (and map) out of the ground, walking over to Lilith. "Take this, and do whatever you like with it, but be warned, two new Sirens are coming that can drain even the strongest Siren's powers. They will be after the Vault Guardian's powers," She warned, tossing the key to her. "Oh... And leave Jack alone," She said, flashing a cocky smirk to the supposed, all-powerful "Firehawk" behind her. "Just say you killed him or something," She said, waving her hand back at Lilith, dismissing them all. "I will do my best to contain his anger, after all, but what you did to him..." She shrugged her shoulders, bringing her left arm up and above her head. At a snap of her fingers, a purple beam shot down from her fingertips, causing her to teleport.  
"Lil!" Mordeicai called out, helping a limping Brick, both of the men freezing as the Warrior roared at the Vault Hunters who pointed their guns at it again.  
"Stop!" Lilith ordered out, holding her hand out to the very confused Vault Hunters. "It's not attacking... Let's leave," She said, keeping her eyes on the Warrior as he huffed, walking back to the lava again, watching everyone.  
"What happened in there?" Mordeicai asked once they were all out of the Vault, the Vault Key in Lilith's hands.  
"It's... A long story," She said, "We need to get back to Sanctuary so we can discuss it there."

* * *

**Back on Helios**

Having rematerialized in his office on Helios, Jack gasped for air, his lungs dry and hurting as he took in the cold air around him. "I was so close," He hissed out, turning his head as the petite figure from the Vault materialized behind him. "You... You did this," He said, limping over to the girl, getting an arched brow in response to his words.

"Did what? Saved you? Yes, yes I did," She said, fixing her long, wavy black hair with her long, slender fingers. Now that she was in proper lighting, her skin was as pale as snow with a few dark spots along her face - freckles standing out against the pale complexion. She hummed softly as she reached her marked left hand out, lightly wiping the blood off of his face, causing his scar to glow an aggressive blue color. "Tsk, tsk. I can't believe I had you go to the Warrior to free me only to end up with this mark across your face," She said, bringing her bloodied hand back to her with a shake of her head, clearly knowing something he didn't.

"Brought ME to the Warrior? I don't think so, Pumpkin," Jack responded, coughing up blood into his left hand. "I should kill you where you stand for ruining my plans," He said, reaching to his side to pull out his custom made Hyperion gun, only to find it was gone. Whistling to herself, she walked around his office, her short, pure white dress - now bloodied slightly from her wiping his blood on it - flowed around her every move, her hair moving naturally, unlike when she was in the Vault.

Looking back at him, she brought her right hand into view, giving him a playful wink as she revealed his gun to him. "You couldn't kill me if you tried, "Pumpkin"," She responded nonchalantly, mocking his nickname for her. "Besides, you should calm yourself down or me saving your ass by teleporting you here won't do much good," She continued, humming to herself as she walked around his desk, letting her fingertips graze along the cool top. "You should consider yourself lucky," She said, turning to look out of the giant windows facing Elpis, her face lighting up with delight. "Nobody besides you has been successful in awakening me from my slumber." Turning her gaze from the windows, she let her unbloodied, right hand run along the back of the bright yellow chair, her bare feet patting along the mixture of wooden and metal floors. "Many people entered the vaults only to be killed by the Warrior or another Guardian. I'm surprised," She spoke with sincerity in her tone, her voice still holding the soft, pleasing melody as before. Looking over at the bleeding Jack, her grey eyes lit up as she giggled. "Too bad you won't remember much of it," She whispered, walking closer to him.

"Don't come any closer, Cupcake. I'll kill you with my bare hands," He coughed out, his intimidating voice slowly losing its aggressive tone. He couldn't hide it; he was scared - this woman... Siren... Person thing brought the Warrior back from the dead, as far as he was concerned, and, not only that, she did save his life, though he'd never admit it since he thought he was unkillable - he was THE Handsome Jack, after all.

"Oh, Jacky boy, I don't think you understand the situation you're in," She whispered as she neared closer to him, edging her right hand up to his face, only getting her hand slapped away in return. "How futile for you to fight me," She whispered, her marks glowing a bright purple as a shadowed hand erupted from the floor, gripping the fatally injured Jack.

"Cupcake, you should let me go," He said, his voice unfaltering in his commands; if it was one thing Handsome Jack didn't like, it was being held against his will somewhere. "Oh, I will," The Siren said, stepping closer to Jack, her petite figure really only coming up to his mid-chest, showing how short she really was in comparison to him - and that only infuriated Jack more. "Tell me, Jack. Do you know why you have this scar?" She questioned, moving her glowing hand up to the glowing scar on his face, showing it was very reactive to her touch. Getting nothing but a glare in response, she smiled at him. "Because it's a failsafe," She whispered to him, digging her thumb into the beginning of the scar on his cheek. Jack couldn't help but let out a loud scream, fire burning through him before his vision was flooded with purple light and then, nothing but black.

"I'll take care of you, Jack," She whispered to him, as his body went limp. Slowly releasing her grip on him with her Phaselock, she held her arms out to him, lowering his body down to the ground, her pale hands running through his hair slowly as she hummed a lullaby to him.

* * *

The next few days, Jack stayed in his office, trying to recount for the lost time he had. He remembered opening the Warrior's Vault and then... Nothing. Not only that, when he woke up and looked in the mirror this morning, his scar was mostly gone and his green eye was back to normal. The clips in his face were gone, as well, and he couldn't find his mask even if he wanted to - and he did. He searched everywhere for it. The only thing even showing the scar was still there was a small scar just on his cheek, something barely even noticeable unless someone was in his personal space - but they wouldn't be there long. 

Sighing in annoyance, he ran his hands through his brown, styled locks, his hands rubbing over his face. He didn't like not knowing what happened unless it was a night with a pretty girl, and he was pretty sure it wasn't that.

"Mister Handsome," A soft voice echoed through the intercom. "You're ship to Pandora is ready." Without responding, Jack stood up and walked out of his office, walking right past the secretary who blushed as he passed. Getting on the elevator, he descended down to the loading docks, making a b-line straight for his ship, ignoring everyone who tried to speak to him at first. Taking his hint, they all left him alone as he made his way to the ship.

"Sir, it's ready to go," The pilot said, visible sweat on his forehead; it was clear Jack was not in the mood for talking.  
"Take me to Pandora," Jack barked out as he used his hand to open the door, making his way to his seat.


	2. Chapter 2

**Back on Pandora**

The Siren girl that had saved Handsome Jack hummed to herself as she entered Sanctuary nearly effortlessly, gaining multiple glances from several of its residents. "Hello," She gave a wave, her markings a pale blue on her snowy colored skin. One of the male citizens closes to her blinked a bit, taking in her features; she couldn't have been taller than 5'2'', if that, freckles adorned her pale body and her dress was white, except a minor bloodstain on the side of her thigh, stopping just shy of her mid-thighs, the bust part of her dress haven been meticulously cut and sewn to show off her busty breasts, despite them being hidden mostly by her long, black hair. Her bare feet slapped against the pavement quietly as she made her way over to the staring citizen, her grey eyes staring up at him. "Don't you know it's rude not to answer someone when they speak to you?" She taunted, fighting back her sneering tone. 

"O-Oh, you were talking to m-me, miss?" The male asked, pointing up at himself. Snorting at the ignorance of some people, she looked all around, even above and below her.

"I don't see anyone else," She said, giving him a fake-nice smile, showing him her pearly whites. "I need you to take me to the Crimson Raiders base, I'm their new recruit!" She said excitedly, lying, but to an untrained person, it seemed like she was telling the truth.

"R-right... This way," He said, leading her through the streets of Sanctuary. He was too shy to make small talk, and honestly, she was happy for that. She didn't care to speak to anyone but Lilith, and the other Crimson Raiders right now.

"Is that a Siren?" "I think so..." "Why is she dressed so weird? Is that blood?" A few asked as she followed behind the taller man in front of her, she couldn't help but smirk at all the stares and whispers she was getting - apparently, Lilith and Maya must've been the only Sirens who came and went from this town.

"We're here," The man said sheepishly, looking at the girl only to blush as her grin overtook her face again, making her way to the doorway.

"Thank you for your help," She said with all the sincerity she could muster, giving a wave.

Meanwhile, on top of the balcony. "Lil, we've got company," Mordecai said, having already been lightly briefed moments before.   
"That little lady scared you that bad?" Brick said, letting out a hearty laughter.

"You weren't there, Brick," Lilith hissed. "Don't point any guns at her unless we have to, I don't think she'd attack us without reason," She continued as the petite girl walked up the steps, humming to herself.

"My, my. I can't believe your base is still standing. I figured you would've torn it up after our encounter in the Vault," She said out, letting her slender fingers trail along the wall as she walked, rubbing them together once she reached the doorway, getting the dust off of her fingers. "Aren't you scared I'd kill you all?" She teased, flashing a sadistic smile at them, getting a stern glare back from Lilith.  
"What are you here for, Siren?" Lilith asked harshly, causing Brick to bust out with laughter again.  
"Little lady, I don't think you could hurt a butterfly," Brick joked, holding his hand over his stomach as he laughed. Mordecai, on the other hand, just stared at the petite girl in front of them.

"Cute," She dismissed, looking over at Lilith. "But, I'm sure you know why I'm here."  
"We don't, actually," Mordecai said, "Care to explain?"

"I agree with Mordecai, we deserve an explanation. You just let Jack walk out with no problems," Lilith said, crossing her arms over her chest, staring down at the girl.  
"First of all, I let him go because I agree with his ideals. The planet needs law and order, and only he can at least help, especially with what's to come," She said, flickering her grey gaze between the three of them. "Whether you want to believe it or not, there are people worse than Jack," She said nonchalantly, shrugging. "And I can't control who gets the Siren powers anymore," As she finished speaking, she flipped some of her black hair over her shoulder, moving around the room quietly. "I have a plan to save my planet with as minimal damage as possible. I'm assuming you told everyone Jack was dead?" She questioned, holding her hands out a bit, materializing an object between her hands with ease, her markings glowing a bright purple.

"We haven't announced anything," Lilith said, holding her arm out to Mordecai and Brick, ready to teleport them if she needed to.  
"I have no intention of hurting you today," She said, snorting at Lilith's response.

"A name from you would at least be the first step in gaining our trust," Mordecai piped up.  
"Fair enough," She shrugged, a framed document landing in her hands gracefully once it fully materialized. "You can call me Adelia," She answered, setting the document down on the large table. "Before you question, this is the deed to Atlas. In about a year, Hyperion will be sending a boy down here named Rhys. I want him to "find"," Adelia paused, using air quotes, "This somewhere. From what I've seen while in my slumber, he will be able to make plenty of well-working guns." She paused again, looking at Lilith, cutting the other Siren off before she could ask. "I took this from Jack's office without him even noticing. If I hadn't he would've gotten it, anyways. This just makes things easier for you. Jack will send lackeys down to find a "Vault Key", Rhys will be one of them. No harm is to come to any of them, or it will end this entire thing before it begins. Of course, the key will be fake, which is where you will all come in; the deal will go sour and they'll need defending. I don't plan to leave the deed here until it's closer to time, but I wanted to prove I can acquire it," She finished, looking up at the other three.

Brick whistled. "Smart little lady," was all he had to say.

"Even if we do believe you, who's to say you aren't lying to get us killed?" Lilith piped up, getting an approving nod from Mordecai and Brick.

"If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it in the Vault," Adelia said flatly, running her fingers over the deed, making it disappear into particles and teleporting back to Jack's office. "Jack is on his way to Pandora now. He will undoubtedly come to question you over the ECHO communication. Tell him you two had a truce. You wouldn't kill him as long as he didn't kill you, I don't care what, but do not harm him," She stressed, staring down Lilith who looked ready to object. "If you hurt him, I will hurt you. And my hurt," She paused, smirking sadistically, "Is a lot worse than yours." 

"He'll never believe that," Mordecai said, adjusting his goggles.  
"He has memory loss of anything that happened after he awakened the Warrior. He'll believe anything if you make it sound convincing enough. I will be watching," Adelia responded, bringing her hand above her head, "You will probably see more of me later in the future; for now, I will leave you be unless it is of dire importance... Or if I'm bored," She added the last part with an innocent giggle, snapping her fingers as a purple light filled the room, teleporting her elsewhere.

"Can we trust her?" Mordecai said, looking at Lilith.

"I don't think we have a choice."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all are enjoying it so far. uwu


	3. Chapter 3

Jack still couldn't shake the feeling that something important happened to him down in that Vault. Did he kill Lilith and the Crimson Raiders? No... He didn't think he did; he'd surely remember that. Running his hands through his brown (with one streak of white) locs again, he let out a loud groan. "I'm friggin' Handsome Jack and I can't even remember what happened after I went into the Vault. I'm supposed to be the hero, shouldn't I remember this?" He thought out loud as he neared Opportunity, deciding that he'd try his hand at contacting the Crimson Raiders. He didn't want to admit it, but he did need a recap of what happened, and where he stands to keep going. "Friggin' bandits helping me out," He growled as the shuttle landed, his heterochromatic eyes peering down at the small figure in a white dress dancing around with one of the guards, causing his brow to arch. "Well, who's this..?" He questioned, his lips turning into a sultry grin, his eyes watching her petite frame move with ease, her feet - still barefoot, causing him to arch a brow again, his left hand moving up to rub his chin slowly, chuckling darkly.

Seeing the shuttle, she looked up at the guard who was all but dead, listening to his pleading. "Hush," She whispered to him. "I'll let you go in a moment, you won't die, just be in a lot of pain for a while," She reassured, giving the guard a breath-taking smile. As the shuttle landed, she glanced up at it, feeling eyes on her as she slipped her hands around the dancing guard's waist, pulling the hidden pistol from their pants. "Now, remember, I'm not a Siren, 'kay babe?" She whispered to him, her markings hidden by willpower alone.  
"Ma'am, please no, you'll get us both killed," The guard pleaded, still unable to move on his own due to her Phaselock hidden in his suit.

"It'll be fiiiine," She said carelessly, releasing the guard as the shuttle landed, pointing the gun between the eyes of the guard's helmet, purposely raising her voice. "You know, you should really watch what your dance partner is doing," She said, hearing Jack exit the shuttle, his eyes still watching the petite girl closely. "After all, I took this gun off of you with ease," She taunted, wagging the gun at the guard before she dropped her Phaselock from all of the guards, turning to toss the gun to Jack. "You should really train your guards better," She said, all of the guards pointing their guns at her as she giggled. At a closer glance, Jack could see that her long hair was now up in a bun, her grey eyes nearly transparent in the sunlight as she walked closer to him, only making her freckles stand out further on her pale face.

The guards readied their guns - well the ones who weren't having an existential crisis that is. "Halt," The guards called out, their voices shaking lightly, both from fear of Jack and this mysterious woman.

"Train my guards better, huh, Pumpkin?" He asked, dismissing the guards with a wave of his hands. His tall figure towered over her 5'2'' self, causing her to smile up at him in a sneering way, making sure he knew she was taunting him. "Cupcake, I think the only thing my guards need to do... Is keep their dicks in their pants," He said the last part loudly, his eyes glancing along all of the guards. "A pretty woman waltz up to MY city and you just let her in and dance with you? Pathetic," He said.

"Aw, you think I'm pretty?" She taunted, smiling at him, showing her dimples as her cheeks blushed lightly under the sunlight. "But you shouldn't chastise them so much, Mister Handsome," She said, moving in front of him, looking up at him as she clasped her slender hands together over her bust, causing him to look down and get a good look. "I did ask to have a dance after all. If I asked you, would you have been able to decline?" She teased, causing Jack's tempter to begin to rise. She had a point - he probably wouldn't have turned it down at a glance; she was wearing practically nothing but a white dress with a few blood stains that were probably her own, judging by the fact that she was barefoot, however, he couldn't shake the feeling that he knew her from somewhere.

"Maybe I could, you don't know that, Pumpkin," He responded through clenched teeth. "So tell me, who is this beautiful intruder of mine?" He asked in a seductive tone, causing her to blush again, a smirk flooding across his lips.

"You can call me Adelia," She responded, tucking a few strands of her black hair behind her ear.

"A- what?" He said, covering his smirk with his right hand as her face fell into an angry pout.

"A-duh-lay-uh," She sounded it out from him, scoffing a bit. "I thought you were supposed to be smart," She said, dismissing him as she walked away.

That comment did it; she'd pissed him off now. "Well, Miss "duh", I think you should stop walking," He said through clenched teeth, holding his custom gun out at her, all the guards following in suit. "Don't you know it's not nice to anger the person who owns this friggin' city?" He asked, taking a step towards her. "Face me," He demanded, like a child throwing a tantrum.

"And if I refuse?" She asked, tilting her head back to stare at him with a cocky grin.  
"Then I'll kill you where you stand, Pumpkin" He responded, malice ringing in his voice. She puffed up her cheeks in a pouting manner before turning on the heels of her bare feet, staring up at him with curious eyes.

"My, my, such a temper," She teased, gripping the barrel of his gun. Slowly, she brought the barrel against her chest, allowing his fingers to graze along her soft skin. "Kill me, then," She finally said in a daring tone, watching as Jack's body froze up. Who was this girl who came in here and pissed him off? The girl who he recognized, but from where? It was clear she hasn't been here before, but he knew her from somewhere and still harbored mild anger towards her for something. Who did she think she was to order THE Handsome Jack around. "What? Can't do it, Mister Handsome?" She asked, breaking him out of his trance.

"It'd be a shame to kill such a pretty face," He responded, his voice harboring the same malice as earlier. Lowering his head down, his breath was warm against her ear as he spoke, "Especially when I haven't even had a taste." With those words, her body shivered, an unusual feeling coursing between her legs as she turned a vibrant red. "Lower your guns," He commanded to his guards, his tone losing the malice as he stared down at her; despite her mouth, she was pretty sexy to him, especially covered in blood. "Let's go to our office and talk, 'kay, Sweetheart?" He said, gripping her left arm roughly enough to leave a firm mark on her, dragging her off into the Hyperion building.


	4. Chapter 4

Practically slamming Adelia down in the seat in front of his mahogany desk, he moved to his striking, Hyperion Yellow chair - similar to the one he had on Helios -, taking a seat. "So tell me, Pumpkin. How did you convince my guards to not shoot you on sight?" He asked, his eyebrow twitching as he moving his hands to his hair, styling it as he stared into the mirror on his desk. "Or rather, how did you get past the turrets?"  
"Don't turrets only aim at someone if they're a threat?" She questioned without missing a beat, crossing one leg over her other knee, causing her dress to ride up her thighs lightly. "Besides, they've been disabled a few days now. I noticed it when I passed through every day until now. I always wanted to see Opportunity up close, so I figured, what the hell?"  
"Language," Jack responded, looking over at his computer screen, not really believing his turrets were down. "Friggin' cheap tech monkies," He muttered to himself, seeing she was indeed right. "So, assuming you are right -"  
"Which I am," She cut him off, giving him a playful smirk.  
Rolling his eyes, he continued, despite his anger making his leg twitch under his desk. This girl had a smart ass mouth and he didn't like it a bit... but at the same time, he did enjoy the fiery personality of hers she seemed to have; it was nice to not have someone bowing down at his feet immediately - it was fun to have a challenge, after all. "How did you convince the guards to let you pass?"  
"Oh, that was easy. I just showed them my breasts," She lied so effortlessly, giving him a taunting smile.  
"Right, so you - what?" Jack said, blinking his heterochromatic eyes slowly, completely caught off guard. Surely she had more respect for herself than that, right?  
"I'm kidding," Adelia responded at Jack's shocked face, her grey eyes watching his blue and green eyes carefully. "You should've seen the look on your face," She said, giggling. "I just walked past the two at the front. They were too busy killing a skag to pay me any mind. After that, I just walked in and asked someone for a dance. I guess they assumed I lived here, but they were quite wary of me, because of the blood," She answered semi-honestly; she didn't want to admit she held them all in a Phaselock and forced the one she was holding to dance with her against his will. He didn't need to know she was a Siren. Not yet. "I just said you sent me here and you'd kill anyone who didn't listen to me," She finally said after a small pause, propping her head against her left hand, watching him as if he had a hamster on his head, turning the gears in his brain. "Speaking of, you should really up your security."  
"Yeah, yeah, you told me that earlier, Pumpkin," He said, shooting her a glare. "Just... Stay here until I figure out what to do with you. You look familiar and I will kill you if you try to leave until I have my answers," He threatened, rubbing his face with his left hand. _Why is she so familiar?_ He thought to himself again, his eyes staring at her, taking in her features briefly, only to have his ECHO start to ping. "Stay quiet," He warned, shooting her another glare, answering the call as she shrugged her shoulders, turning his attention back to the ECHO, he pushed some buttons to get a hologram to pop up, revealing Lilith to both of them. "You," Jack said, gritting his teeth, his voice seeping with malice. "What do _you_ want?"

"Wow, so it is true. You did lose your memory," Lilith answered nonchalantly, her own face tense as she spoke; she wasn't happy about this either, but after being threatened by Adelia, she didn't have a choice. "I'm here to discuss our truce-"  
Before Lilith could finish speaking, Jack cut her off, "I'd never make a truce with you filthy bandits," He snarled at her, causing Adelia to snort quietly to herself, getting a glare from Jack once again as she smiled at him, giving him a slight wave.

"Well, it happened. I'm not happy about it either, but we didn't have a choice," Lilith said, her brows furrowing at Jack's off-hologram glare. "I'll, at least, show you enough respect to tell you what happened in the Vault," As Lilith began to speak, Adelia turned her attention to the window, swaying her foot to and fro from her knee, secretly eager to know what Lilith would tell Jack; she did have at least five days to come up with a plausible lie, after all. "When you opened the Vault after I finished charging the Vault key, the Warrior went rampant. You couldn't even control it-"  
"Impossible," Jack cut her off, slamming his right fist down on his desk, gritting his teeth. "Stop lying to me, Bandit," He said with a tone full of venom. 

"Fine, it's not the whole truth," Lilith admitted, crossing her arms over her chest. "You had control of the Warrior briefly, but after the Vault Hunters took it down, we were getting ready to kill you, but a S-" Before Lilith could finish, Adelia stood up, getting an arched brow from Jack as she walked to the corner of the window, making sure Lilith could see her as she casually looked out of the window, causing Lilith to tense up and freeze mid explanation.  
"But a what?" Jack said, his eyes staying on the back of Adelia, taking in her curvaceous, petite figure, unable to stop himself as he rubbed his left hand over his chin, his tongue flicking over his lips slowly, enjoying the view.

"Disgusting..." Lilith mumbled under her breath as she watched Jack check out the other female like a lion getting ready to pounce its prey. "A... sudden vision of the future came to all of us and warned us of something bigger happening. You were mad that all your hard work would've gone to waste, so you agreed to a temporary truce," Lilith said, struggling as she tried to lie. 

Jack honestly couldn't believe it, shifting his bi-colored eyes to stare at the hologram of Lilith - however, he couldn't exactly say it wouldn't be something he would do, especially if it meant raising his ego even further, with the idea to backstab them later. "I have no memory of this, but I'm assuming that if the vision was bad enough to make even me suggest a truce, it must be something terrible coming," Jack finally said, causing Adelia to cover her mouth, stifling a giggle. She could feel Jack's ego from where she was standing.

"Right... Well, we won't be attacking Hyperion... Or you, assuming you don't do the same to us," Lilith said through clenched teeth.

"As much as the idea of working with you bandits disgusts me, I'll agree to this," Jack responded, also through clenched teeth. Adelia couldn't hold back her giggle as she snorted softly again, feeling Jack's eyes on her back, burning holes through her. The tension between those two was so strong, not even a katana could cut through them. "I'm hanging up now," Jack said, ending the call. "I have to know what is so funny for you to be over there carrying on like that, Cupcake," He said, his eyes watching Adelia as she turned to face him, showing him her pearly whites as she grinned at him.

"Nothing at all, Sir," She responded, giving him a playful wink before she turned back to the window. "I suppose I should be on my way back to the Crimson Raiders now," She continued, stretching her arms up over her head as she let out a soft groan of pleasure, letting her arms fall back to her sides as she turned back to see a confused Jack; he definitely found her quite attractive and down his alley, especially with her whole "innocent" look she had going on. It didn't help that her fiery attitude had him mildly aroused, and that was what scared him. Despite his reputation, he really wasn't one to sleep around with random women, so for him to actually be aroused after years of being dry, it was quite a surprise for him. 

"Crimson Raiders, huh?" He finally said, causing her to cover her rose-colored lips as she laughed. "What's so funny, Cupcake?" He asked, fighting back a smile of his own. She might piss him off, but damn, her smile was contagious.

"Nothing," She said, waving her hand at him again. "I suppose I should get out of your hair now," She said, her eyes flicking back to the window as a light glare shined off of something on top of the city walls, causing her to scowl lightly; she used to be able to see the future, being locked up in the center of Pandora and all, but now, her powers were running dry, especially after her dancing earlier. Squinting her eyes a bit, she heard Jack stand next to her.

"What the-" He said, getting knocked away from the window by her surprising amount of strength as a rocket launched through the window, hitting the ceiling. "Hey, wait-" He started to object. He could fend for himself and she was much smaller than him, but before he could object more, she shielded his face in her breasts, holding him protectively against her, slightly suffocating him as the rubble from the ceiling fell onto her back, hitting her rather aggressively. Once the rubble finished, she spat out a tiny bit of her blood, blood running down her entire body from cuts and blunt force trauma hitting her entire body; Jack, on the other hand, was practically scratch-free. Adelia knew she could've used her powers to protect them both, but running the risk of him not wanting to comply with her plans to save the planet in the near future, she didn't want to risk revealing her identity as a Siren. "I'm a lot larger than you, don't you think I should've been the one protecting you, Pumpkin?" He said in a muffled manner, finally getting his head free of her grip. "Though, I'm not complaining about the tits. They were _very_ nice," He taunted, smirking slightly only to have his face fall as she didn't respond, his eyes scanning over her bloodied body. Her white dress was now turning a bright red from her blood as she slowly collapsed down on top of him, her breathing shallow and weak. Scanning above her, he could see that she very well protected him from having the whole place cave in on him, since they were buried under the debris. "What luck do I have this week," He mumbled as a group of guards pried open the office doors.

"Sir!" They called out, moving the rubble out of the door to make a path to the two of them.

Slowly, Jack moved the unconscious girl, kicking on some of the loose debris close to him. Taking note of what pieces made the enclosure around them shift, he hit the pieces that didn't, meeting the guards as they reached him. "I have someone in here that needs to be taken to the infirmary," He said to the guards who surrounded the enclosure on top of the two of them.

Within minutes, the debris was pushed into a pathway, making it easy for the guards to get to Jack and Adelia. "Take her to the doctor," Jack commanded as he stood up, dusting himself off.   
"But sir-," The head guard stated.  
"Are you disobeying a direct order from your boss?" Jack said, reaching to his holster on his hip and pulling his gun out, pointing it at the guard's head. "I said. Take. Her. To. The. Doctor." He repeated slowly, making sure the incompetent fool in front of him understood him this time. The guard tensed, nodding his head quickly to the other guard carrying the girl. "Good," Jack said, pulling the trigger. "I don't like it when people don't listen to me," He said, sticking his gun back in his holster as the body hit the ground with a thud. Running a hand through his dusty hair, he dug his ECHO out of his pocket. "Clean up in my office. Chop chop, I want it spotless when I get back."


	5. Chapter 5

"What do you mean there's Eridium in her blood?!" Jack practically screamed to the doctor, throwing his hands up. "That'd mean she's a Siren, and I don't see any tattoos or markings," He continued, gripping the elderly doctor by the scruff of his collar with his left hand, his right hand holding his pistol under the doctor's chin. 

"W-well, i-it's true!" The doctor stammered, his brown eyes wide as he stared at Jack, holding his hands up. "I-I've never seen so much E-Eridium in someone's b-blood, even in E-Eridium poisoning cases! Look at the paperwork y-yourself!" 

Squinting at the doctor, Jack reluctantly released his grip on him. "Move and I'll shoot you," He said coldly, picking up the paperwork. Slowly lowering his gun as he read it, he shot his gaze over at the doctor. "How is this possible?" He asked seriously.

"I-I wish I knew! The only c-conclusion I have is that she is a S-Siren!" The doctor stammered again, "B-But even as a Siren, s-she should be dead!" 

"You are some noisy ass people," Adelia said quietly, her voice extremely hoarse as she spoke, wincing slightly as she sat up, looking over at the two men. 

"Ah-ah, language," Jack said, looking at her. "Want to explain to me what you are?" He asked, dropping the paperwork in his lap.

"No, I don't think I want to," She responded, not even looking at the paperwork as she stared up at Jack. He couldn't help but scoff at her stubbornness as the doctor ran out of the room, figuring they needed some time to talk to themselves.

"Then, tell me why I shouldn't kill you where you sit," He shot back flatly, causing her to roll her eyes again. She blinked her grey eyes at him, unamused as he stood there, staring at her. She was covered in bandages, including one wrapped around her head. Her right arm was propped up in a make-shift splint to make sure her shoulder wasn't hurt too severely since they didn't readily have x-ray machines on Pandora (because of the bandits). The back of her gown was left open, large burns covering her skin as she yawned, rubbing her eyes sleepily with her left hand. Under the blanket covering her, a large, make-shift cast was wrapped around one of her legs; they all knew for a fact that her right leg was definitely broken, but they didn't have the materials ready to set it either.

"Because, if you had any interest in killing me, you would've let me bleed out in the room, and, not only that, you've been eyeing me like I'm a piece of meat dangling in front of a lion since you saw me in the plaza," She said the last part cockily, yawning again. "I don't know what you have me hooked on but it's making me tired," She mumbled, propping her head up against her fist, looking at him with sleepy eyes.

"Not my fault you're stunning to look at, Cupcake," He answered back without missing a beat, "Anyways, I hope you don't have anything precious on this planet since you're going to Helios. I don't want the Crimson Raiders saying I already broke the truce, so you're going to get a personal assistant to help you around while you heal, Pumpkin."  
"I never consented to that," Adelia said, glaring at Jack through sleepy eyes.   
"Well, here's the facts, Sweetheart. You either tell me what you are and why you have so much Eridium dust in your blood, or you come with me to Helios while I figure it out for myself. Pick quickly, because we're leaving in three minutes."  
"Fine," She said, snorting quietly at Jack's smirk - he was glad he had won this argument, and honestly, he couldn't hide that he was happy to have eye candy join him on his base. She may piss him off, but he was oddly attracted to her.

* * *

**On Helios**

Adelia drummed her fingers against her thigh as Jack walked in front of her, rambling to himself about Helios and how he had it built. "Yes, yes, it's a magnificent space base," She finally said once he turned to look back at her, grinning like a kid. "But uh, could you please just get me to my roommate or helper or whatever? No offense, doc, but you're very slow," She said, looking up at the elderly doctor.

"See, we would, Cupcake, but we have to set your shoulder and leg," Jack answered for the doctor. "I will personally pick your helper out, though, so don't worry your pretty little head, 'kay, Pumpkin?" Jack continued, flashing a breath-taking grin at Adelia, causing her to roll her eyes again, giggling a bit.

"Fine, you get on that while the doctor fixes me up then," She said, waving him with his hand.

"As much as that sounds horribly boring, I'd much rather watch the doctor pop your shoulder in place. I'm eager to hear you scream," Jack taunted, his sadistic side showing to her as she let out a laugh.

"And who's to say I won't scream?" Adelia finally responded back as the doctor rolled her into a plain, typical doctor's office room. She let her grey eyes scan across the room; the walls were a bright Hyperion yellow, the floors a dark grey. Scattered throughout the room were various medical equipment, including a casting set for her leg.

"Oh, you will, Pumpkin, or my name isn't Handsome Jack," He said in a cocky manner, hoisting her petite frame up and onto the exam bed.

"Fine, let's make a wager. If I scream, you get to pick who's my helper, but... If I don't, I get to pick, and I get to room with them since apparently, I'm so terribly crippled," She mumbled against him, huffing as she stared up at Jack; even on the exam table, she was much shorter than him.

"Oh, come now, Cupcake. I think picking your helper would be more torture to you than anything. Let's switch it around; if you scream, I don't have to pick it," He said, falling into Adelia's very obvious trap. 

Unable to contain herself, she held out her left hand, "Deal," She said, smirking at him.

Jack looked down at her hand, arching a brow. "I don't make deals, my word is gold," He said, tooting his own horn as the doctor gripped Adelia's shoulder.

"P-please relax," The doctor said to her, nodding to Jack to grip her other shoulder. Feeling Jack's warm hands grip her roughly, her cheeks flared a light pink before she widened her eyes, letting out a soft whimper as the doctor slammed her shoulder back in place, closing her eyes tightly as she took a shaky breath.

After a few seconds, she looked up at Jack with a cocky smirk. "Looks like you lost," She said, her smirk only growing at Jack's wide-mouth expression, his bi-colored eyes staring at her.

"How the hell did you not scream? That shit hurts!" He said, amazed by her pain tolerance.

"It's nothing compared to other stuff I've gone through," She said shrugging her good shoulder lightly as the doctor moved away from her, grabbing the casting materials. "Now, are you just gonna hold onto me, or are you gonna let me go, Mister Handsome?" She asked in a taunting way, shooting him a playful glance. 

He froze for a moment, taking in her features up close even more; despite having a few blood stains on her skin, her freckles stood out vastly against her snow-white skin, her eyes shining like diamonds against the fluorescent lights above them. Her hair, though covered in dried blood and half-wrapped, definitely made her slender face stand out even further. Her white dress was replaced with a sleeveless night-gown, just barely covering her curvy body, but it was all they had readily available for females. "Huh? Oh, yeah," He finally said, clearing his throat as he released her soft skin. "I'll go get your assistant, then, Cupcake," He finally said, flustered a bit, mostly from her whimper; the sadist in him wanted to hear her whimper and moan more for him, but he knew he couldn't do that. Not yet, anyway. Walking out of the room, she hummed quietly to herself, watching the doctor begin to slowly unwrap the make-shift cast they put on her back on Pandora.

He didn't try to make conversation with her besides a few warnings: don't get the cast extremely wet, limit showers to thirty minutes or less, don't put any weight on her foot, the typical stuff.

After about thirty minutes, the doctor was done. "I'm sorry for taking so long, Miss... Adelia?" He said and questioned at the same time, making sure he said her name right. Getting a nod in response from her she looked down at her foot cast in Hyperion yellow. "Jack should be back in soon with your helper, please don't move until then."  
"Why is it yellow?" She asked, staring at the doctor, turning her head to the door as Jack walked in with two people.

"Yellow is the best color, Cupcake!" Jack exclaimed, patting the two boys on the back. "Anyways, you're dismissed," He said, looking at the doctor who nodded and swiftly scurried out of the room. "Now, Pumpkin, we have a situation," He said, running his tongue over his canine teeth, looking at the two boys. "These two would just adore being your little helpers until you're healed, but I can't decide which one is a better fit for you." On the right side of Jack was a slender, but tall man, just shy of Jack's height by an inch or two. His brown hair was slicked back and neatly groomed. He was wearing a vest over a blue, striped button-up, with a red tie completing his top look. His pants were casual dress pants with skag skinned boots to top it all off. Adelia looked closely at him, causing him to blush madly as she took note of his bi-colored eyes; one was brown and the other, blue, but not a normal blue - more like a robotic eye. On top of that, he did have a cybernetic right arm, so she wouldn't doubt it if it were mechanical, or at least had a mechanical implant in it. The longer she stared at him, the redder he became, fidgeting under her stare. Honestly, he looked like he was ready to pass out just from being next to Jack, which only made her like him more.

On the left was a tall, buff man wearing a clean Hyperion suit, his black hair was also slicked back similar to Rhys, but with more volume. On his face, there was a beard and mustache, and, as Adelia stared at him, he just wore a sadistic smirk, returning her stare with his brown eyes. Something about him rubbed her wrong, so she looked at Jack with a straight face. "The left looks like he's ready to throw me into an airlock for taking your attention while the right looks like someone I could actually depend on. I pick him," She said flatly, causing the man on the right to bust out laughing.

"You heard that Assquez?! She picked me!" The slender boy said, causing her to cover her mouth, laughing at his response as Jack whacked his back.

"Language," Jack said, causing the boy to clear his throat, looking away, nodding his head obediently. After a few seconds, Jack started busting out laughing at the realization of the nickname. "Assquez?! That's a beautiful nickname. Why didn't I think of that?" 

The "Assquez" person just rolled his eyes, "Sir, with all due respect, I'm more in shape than Rhysie is over there. I can handle her better," He said, pleading his case.

"I have a cybernetic arm! I can lift her easily with it!" 'Rhysie' said, pointing his robotic pointer finger at the other male to further prove a point.

"Now, now, children, let's not fight. The lady has picked her choice," Jack said, shoving the black-haired male out of the room with ease, despite his protests. "Show me that you can lift her, champ," Jack said, watching the tinier man stare up at him in awe, completely surprised that Jack picked him. "Oh yeah, this is... uh, what was your name, Champ?" He asked.

"R-Rhys Strongfork, Sir!" Rhys said, saluting, causing both Jack and Adelia to laugh. 

"That's such a stupid last name," Jack said, laughing as he smacked Rhys on the back. "Well, Rhysie boy, take care of her," He said, gripping the back of Rhys's styled hair. "And if you hurt her without my knowledge, I'll kill you," He threatened lowly, causing the smaller man to tremble slightly from the authority in his words.

"He couldn't hurt a butterfly," Adelia said, coming to Rhys's defense, getting a mouthed "thank you" in return. "Go on, go do your CEO stuff or whatever. I think we'll manage," She said, waving him off with her good hand.

* * *

Once Jack had finished lecturing how her stay was only temporary and how he was such a busy man, he left the room. "He sure does talk a lot about himself, doesn't he?" She asked, looking over at Rhys with her grey gaze. 

"I-I mean... He is THE Handsome Jack..." He paused, looking at her with a flushed face. "You are covered in b-blood... Do you uh... Want me to pick you up or just... Let you hobble to your wheelchair?" He asked shyly, scratching the back of his head with his actual hand, holding his cybernetic hand out to her.

"I don't know, Rhys. I just had my dislocated shoulder shoved back in place and I have a broken leg. What do you think?" She asked a bit sarcastically, purposely poking at his question.

"R-right..." He said; he thought she was rude, but he did admire how she stood up to Jack, even though he also thought she was dumb for doing that. It'd probably get her killed one day, but, at the same time... He did find her stunning, especially her voice with how soft it was and how whimsical it sounded as her words rolled off her tongue when she spoke. She was a woman of few words, but when she spoke, he couldn't help but listen and blush. And she was tiny. Very tiny. Practically an adorable midget between Jack and his heights. "Well, u-uh... I don't know how to g-grab you..." He finally said as she waved her hand at him, breaking him out of his trance.

"Wrap your left arm around my waist and put your cybernetic arm under my thighs. I'll wrap my good arm around your neck," She explained, covering her mouth with her right arm at his immediate flush. "Are you related to a tomato? Or a strawberry? Because you're awfully red there, Rhysie," She teased, smiling sweetly at him. She was going to have fun flustering him, and she knew it.

"H-hey... That's not n-nice," He stuttered out, huffing a bit before he followed her instructions. She let out a soft gasp as his warm arm wrapped around her waist; she didn't realize she was so cold until she felt his warmth. She felt him tense as she looked up at him, smiling at him with a wink.   
"You're warmer than I thought, that's all," She said honestly. "I didn't realize how cold it was in here. It surprised me," She continued explaining, seeing his face cool off gradually, causing her to laugh quietly. "Bend down a little so I can wrap my arm around you," As she finished talking, he bent down, just as she had asked. Wrapping her good arm around his neck snuggly, she gripped his vest tightly in her hand, picking up her good leg and wrapping it around his waist, repeating with her broken leg, only, she couldn't wrap it around him as snuggly as her other leg, so instead, she squeezed him lightly, arching a brow as his body shivered, a low groan coming from him. "Are you alright?" She asked, shivering as the cool metal found her bare thighs. 

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," Rhys mustered out, his face a bright crimson while he used his cybernetic arm to hold up her weight more or less as he slowly turned around, walking over to her wheelchair. Unwrapping herself from him, she huffed lightly as he set her down in the chair. "I-I um... Gotta stop by my best bro, Vaughn's work station and let him know you'll be sleeping in my room for a while," He mumbled, scratching the back of his head lightly, positioning himself a bit oddly in her opinion; his hips were pushed back and his cybernetic hand was hovering above his zipper like it was hiding something.

"That's fine," She said, smiling up at him, deciding not to press the issue any further. She knew what a man looked like when they were aroused, and she definitely didn't want to fluster him anymore - she didn't think his face could take the constant heating. "I don't mind you pushing me around. I'm not really tired, anyways."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains nonconsensual touching, drug use, and slight triggering themes.

**A few days later...**

Adelia was propped up against the wall near the head of her bed, humming to herself as she played on the ECHO Jack had assigned to her. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't amazed by it - they didn't have these back when she was forced into the deepest parts of the planet. Rhys, on the other hand, had left the room about twenty minutes before to grab her some lunch. She did feel bad that he had to stop working to take care of her, but he didn't seem to mind it at all. The past few days they'd spent together had only brought them close. He no longer grew as flustered as before, but she did know how to make him flustered, and it wasn't hard. He didn't seem to mind her dressing up in the oversized t-shirts that he usually used to lounge around in; he never complained as long as she folded them neatly once they were washed, which she did, but, she also had a feeling that he enjoyed seeing the tight fabric cling to her curvy body. He swore he'd take her clothes shopping soon, but she reassured him that she was fine, especially since her back was still recovering from the burn - she didn't want to risk irritating it more, sure, she could've probably healed herself by getting her hands on some Eridium, but she doubted she could teleport to Pandora and back without Jack or Rhys noticing she was gone, and Rhys more than likely freaking out.

Luckily, nobody had noticed she was a Siren yet, at least, not that she knew of; she knew she'd have to own up to it one day, but given how much Jack dislikes Sirens (because of Lilith and his own daughter), she decided to wait until she was able to hold her own, in case things went sour. Where it stood now, she could get around, just very slowly, and, if she used her powers to get around, it'd just make her more exhausted; it had been a while since she fed off of something, and she refused to eat energy from a person. She wasn't going to go down that route again.

Hearing a few knocks at the door, she came out of her thoughts, staring down at the "You Lose" text on the screen of her ECHO; she had been playing the Snake game and was doing quite well until she went off into her thoughts. "Who is it?" She called out, covering her legs with her (Rhys's) blanket. 

"It's me, Doctor Samuel," The doctor's voice called out, causing Adelia to arch a brow; the doctor very rarely came to her and Rhys's room, making her suspicious. 

"Can I help you, Doctor?" She asked, moving to sit further up slowly, pulling up Rhys's contact in case her suspicions were right (and they usually were), and sending him a 'How much longer' message, getting a response back almost immediately.

'On my way now, Adelia. :)' the screen read, making her snort at the smiley face. 

"It's time for your therapy," The doctor finally responded. She scrunched her face into a scowl at his words - no it wasn't, she just finished it a few hours ago.

Reluctantly, she pressed the button to the door, unlocking it for the doctor. "I just finished my therapy a few hours ago, I know it isn't time for that," She said, staring at him from her (Rhys's) bed as the doctor entered the very clean room. 

"...Are you two sleeping in the same bed?" The doctor asked, raising his gray eyebrows in shock. She squinted her eyes; the doctor knew their sleeping situation, so why did he seem surprised?

"Are you alright, Doc? You're not acting like yourself," She questioned, avoiding his question altogether. "And, what's that thing on your neck?" She continued to question, pointing to the small device on his throat.

As soon as she asked the question, she instantly regretted it as the "doctor" locked the door behind him, pressing a button on his watch to reveal his true face as Hugo. "Guess nothing slips past you, does it?" He said in his normal voice, popping the small device off his neck and stepping on it. 

_**AN: TW: nonconsensual drug use, nonconsensual touching.** _

"What do you want, Assquez?" She asked coldly, her grey eyes narrowing at him, watching him closely as she started the "HELP" button on the ECHO, not even seeing who it was going to at this point; she only had four contacts in hers: Jack, Rhys, Vaughn, and the actual doctor, and, based on her gut feeling, she knew this wasn't going to end well. She knew her suspicion was probably going to be right, but man, did she hope it wouldn't be.

"Oh, you know, just to toy with you and break Rhysie since he's climbing the ranks in Jack's eyes, taking MY position that I worked so hard for," Hugo said, walking closer to her as she scooted further away from him, her fingers still spamming the button on her ECHO. "Now, I'm gonna need you to take these pills, or it's going to be very painful for you, sweetcheeks," As he finished talking, he moved closer to her, grasping her tiny throat in his large hand, using his index and thumb fingers to press against the muscles of her jaw, forcing her mouth to open against her will. He forced a few pills into her mouth, covering it as he held her throat in a tight grip. "Swallow," He commanded, getting a glare in response as she opened her mouth, biting down on his hand roughly. Feeling her teeth penetrate his hand, he let out a yelp, slamming her head back against the wall, forcing her to take a gasp of pain, the pills going down her throat as she coughed roughly, her vision going blurry from the force of her head meeting the wall. "See? I told you, painful," He said lowly, laughing as he released her throat, letting her body fall back on the bed. "And, my my, such an easy outfit so I can have access," He continued, looking down at her wearing just a shirt that stopped just shy of her knees, but clung to her curves as she tried her best to move, but ultimately couldn't beyond a few twitches. "Oh, you should quit trying to move, that's some of the strongest sedatives in the known universe. The longer you fight it, the longer they stay active. Had 'em custom made for this," He explained, staring down at her grey eyes, watching him as she breathed heavily, fighting off sleep.

"Such nice skin," He whispered to her, sliding his rough hand up the outside of her right thigh, her legs twitching slightly as she continued to try and fight the sedative, getting a smirk from him. "Please, keep fighting, I'll have fun watching you come down after, unable to deal with yourself as you launch yourself into space," He said, revealing his plans to her. "And, you're not wearing any shorts underneath this shirt. How considerate of you," He continued to taunt, sliding two of his fingers under the edge of her dress. "Oh my, and no panties either? You're such a slut. Must've been waiting for this. I'll have fun-"

_**AN: TW over.** _

Before he could finish, Rhys banged on the door lightly. "Adelia, I'm back with dinner. Let me in," He said, furrowing his brows lightly after no response. Hugo just smirked, hearing the "Access denied" ring out in the hallway as Rhys tried to unlock the door with his passcode. "Adelia?!" He called out a bit worried this time; she never locked him out, and he was pretty sure she wouldn't even know how to. Staying quiet, he pressed his ear against the door, listening for any sound.

"Oh, Rhysie, you're late to the party," Hugo called out, "Miss Adelia here welcomed me into the room as her lover," He taunted. Rhys knew that wasn't true, especially given how creeped out Adelia had looked from seeing Hugo the first time.

"Jack?" Rhys said, looking at an out of breath Handsome Jack running up to him.

"What is going on?" Jack asked, mildly annoyed. "I got like, fifty friggin' help things from her. Wait- why are you standing outside of your room? Go in."

"U-Uh, well, I can't," Rhys said, putting his code into the door again as Adelia's lips smirked slightly, seeing Hugo's face pale at the sound of Jack's voice. "Assquez l-locked me out and I'm pretty sure Adelia is in danger," Rhys finally said, stepping back as Jack's face grew red.

"Open the door, Champ," Jack called out, knocking on the door.

Using all of her strength, Adelia opened her mouth painstakingly slow, "He...lp..." She whispered out as loud as she could, praying that they could hear her, only for a slap to be heard as Hugo brought his hand down across her face.

"Shut up, you stupid bitch," He whispered harshly to her, searching under his suit for his gun.

"I'm not asking," Jack said, growing more annoyed by the minute. Hearing a soft whimper from the room, Rhys tensed lightly, shifting on his feet uncomfortably under Jack's stare. He knew he was going to be put as responsible for this and probably thrown out of an airlock as Jack brought his ECHO watch to his mouth. "Autolock shutdown for house unit number 256," He commanded harshly over the watch, and, within minutes, the door slid open, revealing Hugo holding a gun to a limp Adelia against him, causing Rhys to drop the food he was carrying.

"S-stay back," Hugo said, pressing the gun against Adelia's head. "I'll kill her if you take another step," he threatened.

"Hugo, you're taking this too far," Rhys said, holding his hands up. 

"Time's up," Jack said as a shot echoed throughout the room and building, Hugo's bodying going limp as Adelia fell forward.   
"O-oh God," Rhys said, covering his mouth with his cybernetic hand, looking away from the gruesome scene as Jack moved forward, catching Adelia with ease in his arms.

"Sorry I'm late, Cupcake," He whispered down at her, flicking some of the brains out of her hair. "Let's get you to a doctor," He said, picking her up with ease, holding her against his chest as her head hung limp. She blinked her eyes at Rhys to show she was still alive as Jack walked away. "My office. Ten minutes. Don't be late, Champ," Jack said harshly to Rhys. "And, order a cleanup crew, your room is filthy."

"Y-yes, Sir!" Rhys said nervously, fidgeting a bit before he brought his ECHO up to his mouth, ordering a cleanup crew to his room, per Handsome Jack's orders.

* * *

"She seems to have been sedated with Vault Guardian sedatives," The doctor said, looking up from the microscope.  
"How the hell did he get his hands on a Vault Guardian to build sedatives?" Jack asked out loud, looking at an Adelia who was slowly coming back around, but was more like a newborn baby than anything - every time she tried to lift her head, she'd just drop it back down with a groggy groan. As mad as he wanted to be, he did oddly find it cute how she was acting.

"I have no idea, Sir," The doctor answered, lifting his glasses to his forehead. "It seems like it's been modified a bit, though. I can't give you a perfect estimate on when she'll be back, all I can give you is a rough one and some epinephrine to stab into her leg every few hours to try and get it out of her system." As Samuel spoke, he looked over at Adelia, rather pissed off that his patient had been placed in harm's way himself. "The only thing is, we don't know how her body is going to react, given the Eridium in her blood. Not to the epinephrine, but to the sedative. Vault Guardians are probably powered by Eridium, so she could very well-"  
"Stop," Jack said, rubbing his face in an annoyed groan. "I get it, doc," He continued, "I'll watch her and keep you updated, but now, I have a meeting with a Mister Rhysie Strong-I-Fucked-Up-Big-Time-Fork, so just stab her and we'll go about our business. I want him to feel guilty for what happened under his watch."  
"Of course, Sir," The doctor said, digging through one of the drawers of his desk. Turning around, he smacked an epi-pen into Adelia's thigh, injecting her with her first dose as she groaned lightly again, opening her tired eyes; she was tired. Exhausted, even, but she knew she couldn't fall asleep and had to fight off this sedative to keep Rhys from getting killed by a furious Jack.

Walking behind her wheelchair, Jack began to roll her towards his office, the doctor scurrying off the other way. As the epinephrine hit her bloodstream full-force, she felt her fingers responding to her nerves as she gripped the chair lightly, feeling her power slipping as her heart raced, her marking daring to appear as she fought them back; she couldn't show Jack. Not yet. Rhys? Maybe. But. Not. Jack. She clenched her teeth as her body tensed, causing Jack to stop pushing her. "You alright down there, Pumpkin?" He asked, his heterochromatic eyes gazing down at her, watching her closely. 

"F... Fine," She whispered hoarsely, closing her eyes as she relaxed slightly; she needed to feed her powers soon, but to what? There were only robots and humans up here, that she's seen, anyways, and she wasn't going to drain a human, she made her mind up about that years ago.

"Ah, there she is. Welcome back, Cupcake," He said chuckling lowly. He was honestly relieved she was back and seemed to be fine with the medicine the doctor gave her, but he wouldn't say it out loud. "You probably shouldn't speak. Or do anything really. I'll be your mouth and body," Jack said, wiggling his eyebrows as she slowly tilted her head back, staring up at him. She couldn't help but let out a raspy laugh at his eyebrows.

"I'll be fine," She said softly, licking her rosy lips lightly. "Rhys-"  
"We'll talk about this later, Kitten," He said, opening the door to his office, where a very nervous Rhys stood at the bottom of the stairs, his expression softening at the sight of Adelia being alright.

"Adelia, I'm so glad you're okay," He said, moving to step closer to her, only to stop at Jack's ferocious stare. 

"Careful now, Champ. She's in this situation because you fucked up."  
"Actually-" Adelia started, only to get cut off by Jack.

"Tell me why I shouldn't throw you into an airlock and watch you suffocate in the vacuum of space, or maybe, demote you into janitorial duty and force you to clean up all my messes, then throw you into an airlock," Jack commanded. "You have two minutes."

"W-Well, I was just going to get her l-lunch... I was only g-gone like thirty minutes-" Rhys started, pausing as Jack's face told him all he needed to know; he wasn't going to leave this room alive unless there was a miracle.  
"Enough," Adelia said, very wobbly standing up, stumbling a bit as Rhys moved closer, grabbing her left arm while Jack grabbed her right. "It's my fault it happened. I told Rhys to go get me food since I didn't feel like leaving the room. Believe it or not, I don't like all the stares I get," She said, slapping Jack's hand off of her arm. "Believe it or not, I'm a grown-ass woman, and, if I hadn't broken my leg or hurt my shoulder because of **_your_** security breach back on Pandora, I could've fought him off," She continued, shoving her pointer finger against Jack's chest. "I told you when you had me pick between them that Hugo made me uneasy, you should've dealt with it then, but you're too busy with your head up your own ass to have noticed he gave me that look days ago. If anything, it's _**your**_ fault."  
Rhys and Jack stood there quietly after her outburst, Rhys with his mouth open in awe - nobody has ever spoken to Handsome Jack like that and lived, and the fact that Jack let her finish only made it weirder for him - whereas Jack stood there with a firm frown on his face, his rage boiling as his hands shook - he knew she was right, but he would never admit it. He wanted to end her right where she stood for talking to him like that, but he just couldn't make his body move to grip his gun.   
"Now, if you're done being a fucking baby about it, I want Rhys to take me back to our room because I'm tired and I don't feel like dealing with this anymore," She concluded, plopping her ass back down in her wheelchair with a huff.

"S-sir?" Rhys asked nervously, fidgeting with his tie.

"Get the fuck out of my office," Jack said, walking away from her wheelchair. Oh, how he wanted to kill her, but he knew if he did, the whole truce with the Crimson Raiders would be out the window, along with any future plans to clean the bandit scum off of Pandora, and... He couldn't lie, being talked to like that aroused him greatly - he wanted to break her firey will, but right now was not the time. He moved to his desk, sitting in the chair as Rhys swiftly wheeled Adelia out the room, rubbing the slight stubble on his face with a loud groan. The way her cute face twisted in anger as her snowy cheeks lit up with red made her freckles stand out even more. And the way that the shirt she was wearing clung to her body so... elegantly. Her legs were so toned, at least, the parts that were shown, and her voice, soft, like a whisper... He couldn't get his mind off of her, his thoughts betraying him as they trailed into him gripping her hips, slamming his lips against hers in an angry, but hungry fashion. "Go away," He mumbled to himself, adjusting his pants lightly despite his bulging erection begging for freedom. Despite his words, his mind trailed to her busty breasts, reimaging how they felt pressed up against him, and that smell of lavender he loved so much. Unable to contain himself any longer, he unzipped his pants, keeping his eyes closed as he imagined all the dirty things he wanted to do to her, his right hand getting to work on his girth.

* * *

_**Back with Rhys and Adelia...** _

"U-uh... Addy, I do appreciate you saving my ass but... You probably just signed a death warrant for us both," Rhys finally said, opening the door to their now-spotless room.

"He'll get over it," She said sleepily, rubbing her face with her good hand, a soft squeak coming from her as she yawned, causing him to look at her, laughing a bit.

"I suppose so. He did let us go, so maybe there's hope we'll live after all," He responded, bending down to her chair. "I don't want you walking right now, so grab onto me and I'll carry you to your bed."  
"Mm.." She mumbled, looking up at him sleepily as she wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling his arm wrap around her waist as her legs very loosely squeezed his waist, causing him to let out a soft sigh. He loved feeling her legs around him, even if it were just slightly, and his mind, almost always, went to dirty thoughts. "That's so cold," She whispered into the side of his neck, squeezing him lightly with her legs as she jumped slightly in his arms from the cool metal of his cybernetic arm sliding under her bare thighs.

"Well, if you'd let me buy you clothes, you wouldn't have to feel it that much," He teased, carrying her to her (his) bed. Laying her down in the bed, he pulled the blanket over her, chuckling a bit as he stared down at her sleepily expression - her eyes were barely open and she had quite a silly grin on her face.

"Maybe I'll take you up on that offer one day, and make you buy me underwear," She teased back, giggling to herself as his face turned beet red.

"I-I mean... Those are clothes so I don't have a choice if that's what you want," He said quickly, rubbing the back of his head with his cybernetic arm, trying to brush off her comments. "Well, I'm gonna go watch a show on my ECHO before I fall asleep on the couch again. Do you need anything before I go?" He asked, his face still fairly red as he turned to walk away.

She reached out, grabbing his shirt lightly. "Sleep with me."  
"Su-what?" He said, his mind going to the dirty meaning behind those words almost instantly.

"Not like that, you pervert," She said, rolling her grey eyes with a small smile, finding it amusing that he turned a bright crimson this time. "I just meant... I don't... Really wanna lay by myself right now," She confessed lightly. She was used to being touched like that before, but it's been quite a few hundred years since then, and she really didn't want to be alone with her thoughts again. "Please?" She asked quietly, looking up at him with a bashful expression, making his heart jump out of his chest.

"I-I mean... I- I guess..." He answered, his voice getting quieter with each word. 

"I know you sleep shirtless, it's fine," She said, smiling up at him as she scooted over, placing herself against the wall as she stared up at him, fighting back a grin as he ran his hand through his hair, messing it up as he debated the pros and cons.   
Pros: He'd be sleeping with a beautiful woman, he'd get a boner, she'd feel it, and things might escalate.

Cons: He'd get a boner, and she'd probably feel it, and things might escalate. She also might murder him in his sleep. She's been pretty docile, but he hasn't really been in direct contact unconscious before, but... Would she?

Reluctantly, he pulled off his shirt, having decided to listen to her favor, knowing he at least owed her this much after what happened only hours earlier. Grabbing a pair of his red pajama pants, he walked into their bathroom, undoing his belt and sliding his pants off after sliding his belt off. He tossed his pants into the laundry shute before sliding on his pajama pants. Walking back out, he couldn't help but smile as Adelia drifted in and out of sleep, waiting for him. "I won't bite you, I promise," She joked, moving to sit up for Rhys to get under the blanket better and adjust the pillows for him.

"I'm not so sure about that," He said, climbing into the bed slowly. "Besides, what if I like being bit?" He teased.

"My my, is Rhysie a masochist?" She said, laughing as he turned a bright red. "I'm kidding, but I'll bite you if you want me to," She teased again, giving him a wink as he glared at her.

"You're such a tease," He mumbled, breaking his gaze off of her. "I'm gonna get up if you keep teasing me," He threatened.

"No, no, I'm sorry," She said, giggling as she moved to lay down next to him, scooting herself close to him before she rested her head on his bare chest, listening to his quick heartbeat.

"H-hey, I never agreed to this," He quickly said, his nose being filled with the smell of lavender - a smell he had come to love after being in the same room with her for a few days now.

"Just... shush, you can move me after I fall asleep," She mumbled, closing her eyes as she listened to his heartbeat, starting to drift off into a light sleep.

 _Great._ Rhys thought to himself, very slowly setting his arm down next to her, his body tensing as she felt hers relax against him, her breasts pressing against his side and her thighs lightly pressing against his. _Don't get a boner, Rhys. You're better than that. You're a Strongfork, after all,_ He continued to think to himself, using his cybernetic arm to reach over to his ECHO, calling Vaughn.

"Rhys, my bro-bro bro! I thought you were gonna be dead!" Vaughn called out loudly through the ECHO.

"Shh!" Rhys said, bringing his other hand up to his lips as Adelia stirred against him, letting out a soft sigh as she relaxed against him again. "I have a situation," He whispered to Vaughn, moving the camera down to show a very passed out sleeping Adelia against his chest.

"Oh, bro! Tell me the deets!" Vaughn said excitedly but kept his voice down.

"Later. We didn't do anything, she just wanted to cuddle, bro," Rhys said, getting a look of amazement from Vaughn.

"I suppose that'd make sense, man. She seems to have had a rough day. You know, for someone who comes from a place of high mortality rates, she seems pretty chill compared to the others we've heard about from Jack. I can't believe he brought her onto the ship with as much as he hates Pandorians," He said, going off on an off-mind ramble. "Anyways, what're you gonna do?"  
"I can't just get up and leave her, bro, but I feel her boob-ays on my side-ay," He said, clearing his throat as she slid her left arm around him, squeezing him lightly as she let out a soft noise that he couldn't make out - was it a whimper or a moan?

"I think you should go deal with the problem in your pants, bro," Vaughn said, hanging up the ECHO before he heard more.

"Vaughn, bro-" Rhys started, sighing loudly as he moved his ECHO to the nightstand next to him. Vaughn was right, though, the little whimpers she was making her sleep were definitely turning him on; the tent in his pants could testify to that, and, as much as he thought they were sexy to hear, he knew they were probably because she was hurting or having withdrawals from the sedative Hugo had given her, and that made him feel shitty. He groaned, rubbing his face as he shifted slightly under her grip. _Just ignore and go to sleep, Rhys,_ He thought to himself as he stared up at the ceiling. Moving his arm back down, he pulled her closer against him, letting out a soft moan from the feel of her soft breasts pressing against him firmly, his hand gripping her waist very lightly, tempted to grab her ass, but he knew he shouldn't - not without her consent. Closing his eyes, he did his best to think of all the disgusting things he could think of to kill his boner, before drifting off into a heavy sleep, keeping his arm wrapped tightly around her.


	7. Chapter 7

**_The next morning..._ **

Coming to, Adelia shivered lightly, feeling something firm pressing against her rear and warmth spread against her breasts and coolness against her stomach. Looking down with sleepy eyes, her face flushed a bright crimson — at some point, they must’ve turned over. Rhys had his cybernetic arm resting across her stomach, holding her closer to him while his normal arm was slid under her, wrapping back up and around her breasts, his hand holding one lightly while his face was rested against the nape of her neck. She knew he probably wasn’t aware of what he was doing, but she was rather flustered from it. A surprise, given how much she flusters him. She let out a soft moan as Rhys grasped her breast lightly, pulling her more firmly against her, his member throbbing against her lower cheeks as his warm breath blew against her neck. Moving her left hand up, she lightly tapped his hand. “Rhys,” she whispered, shaking his arm lightly, a soft gasp escaping her as he gripped her breast harder, his entire body pressing against her back, his erection pressing firmly against her ass as her lower region tingled lightly. She wiggled her hips slightly on instinct, grinding against his erection as she bit her bottom lip, her mind clouding with dirty thoughts, but, ultimately, she stilled her hips, despite her body protesting against her mind. She gripped his hand a bit harder, prying his cybernetic grip off of her slightly, giving herself enough freedom to turn over and face him, just as his grip on her tightened again, his left hand gripping her shoulder as he pulled her closer to him, groaning in his sleep. "Rhysie," She whispered up to him again, poking his chin with a smile. "I have to pee."

"Mm..." He grunted out, his eyes twitching lightly before they opened, blinking a few times. "My pillow smells better than usual..." He mumbled, still in a sleepy daze before he gazed down, his brown and blue eyes meeting Adelia's grey ones. Blinking his eyes slowly, Adelia couldn't help but grin at his look of shock. "I'm so sorry," Rhys said, quickly unwrapping himself from her, nearly falling on the floor as he slid away from her. _She didn't see my morning wood, did she? Good going, Rhys, you probably scared her,_ he thought to himself, taking a big gulp as she moved to sit up, the collar of her (his) shirt falling over her right shoulder as she giggled at his reaction.

"At least I know I smell better than your pillow," She teased, patting his left arm lightly. "It's fine, I know it happens," she continued, motioning to the tent poking up from the blanket.  
 _Oh GOD, Kill me NOW,_ He thought to himself, covering his crimson face as she giggled again. Moving on top of his waist, he peeked up at her, watching her as she slid herself off of him completely moments later, using the nightstand and then the wall to get to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. _Of course she wasn't going to do anything_ , he thought to himself, mentally kicking himself seeing as he got even harder from the feel of her bare cheeks against his bare stomach. They were so soft, but definitely toned as he groaned out loud, rubbing his face aggressively, trying to will away his morning wood. After a few minutes, he heard the shower start before the door opened, "L-Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have slept with you last night," Rhys said quickly, slowly pulling his hands away from his eyes, turning to look at Adelia.

"Oh, no, I don't mind it," She said, waving her hand lightly as she exited the bathroom, leaving the shower running. Moving to sit down next to him on the bed, she moved her right hand over his left hand, lightly pulling it away from his face. "I did ask you to do it, Rhysie. It's fine," She reassured, despite him opening his mouth to protest, only to stop as she placed her index finger over his mouth. "I'm going to take a shower, and then, we'll go shopping, just so I can make it up to you since you're persistent on that," She said, smiling as his face flared a crimson again. He wanted her to kiss him, and he wanted to ask if he could join her in the shower, but, he couldn't get his words out, past a few "um"s. His eyes really took in her pale complexion, her rosy lips looking quite kissable to him. He was curious how they'd feel against his, causing his face to flare up even more as she arched a brow at him. "What?" She asked, biting back a smile; she could see he was eyeing her lips, and it didn't help his case any with him licking his lips. She knew what he was thinking about. Deciding to tease him back for groping her earlier without her permission, she slowly tugged his cybernetic arm off of his face completely, pinning both of his arms down as she moved her lips close to his, stopping just shy of letting their lips touch. "Is this what you want, Rhys?" She whispered seductively to him, feeling his body shudder under her grip.

"Y-yes..." He finally managed to respond, his gaze meeting hers, causing her face to flare up a crimson. 

_Dammit, don't look at me with such pleading, sweet eyes..._ She thought to herself, slowly pulling herself up and off of him, running her right hand through her messy, bedhead hair. "Maybe after we shop," She said, not looking at his amazed face. He was honestly amazed she had turned red at his words. She's only ever blushed once or twice from him, never turned completely red. Moving to sit himself up, he watched her pick up one of the shirts he had given her to wear, for now - a plain red shirt that he barely wore. The neck was way too wide for him, but on her, it looked so good. Taking a shaky breath, he stood up, gripping her left arm lightly with his cybernetic arm. "Rhys?" She asked, turning to look up at him.

"Please don't kick me in the balls," Was all he said, his left hand cupping her chin, keeping her head tilted up as he stared down at her, causing her eyes to widen a bit.

"Rhys, what-" She started, only to be cut off by his lips pressing very softly on hers. Hesitantly, she returned his soft kiss with one of her own, her eyes closing as she felt him relax against her; he was relieved she didn't shove him away. Slowly he pulled his lips from hers, opening his eyes to look down at her, his face a bright crimson, but, so was hers, and it looked good on her, especially with her grey eyes, or at least, that's how he felt about it. Gulping slightly, she looked at him with her reddened face, her body flooded in goosebumps from their kiss - his lips were so soft against hers, and honestly... She wanted to feel them against hers again.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself," Rhys whispered to her, hoping she wasn't too angry with him. Imagine his surprise when she dropped his shirt to slide her arms around his neck, bringing him down a bit as she brought her lips to his, kissing him in a needing manner. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him as he deepened their kiss. A soft gasp escaped her lips, causing him to tense against her, his morning wood making its presence known to him again as he groaned lightly, pouting slightly once she pulled her lips from his.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself," She quoted him, grinning up at him in a playful way as he rolled his eyes, his body shiver as she began moving her hands from around his neck to his forearms, gripping them lightly. "But, I really need to take a shower, Rhysie," She continued, drumming her fingers along his skin and metal as she slid her hands down his arms.

"R-right..." He mumbled, his face staying a bright crimson as he reluctantly released her. He really didn't want to, but he didn't have much of a choice - if they were going to go out, she did need to get ready... And he had a more pressing issue to deal with while she showered. 

"Don't worry, Rhys, I won't be long," She said, smiling up at him as she stared at his disappointed face, finding him adorable. She patted his cheek lightly as she took her (his) shirt from him. "By the way, I hope you had fun groping my breasts while you slept," She teased, laughing at the expression on his face.

"What do you mean-" He started, frowning as Adelia closed the door on him. "Adelia, open this door and tell me what you mean!" He exclaimed, his face heating up again. He had grabbed her breast in his sleep? Impossible. He would've remembered that, or at least, he was fairly sure he would. Staring down at his flesh hand, he wiggled his fingers, trying to remember the feeling. _I guess I wouldn't remember if I was asleep..._ He thought to himself, letting out a few quiet mumbles to himself, angry that he couldn't remember if he did or if she was even comfortable that he did. Moving to his couch, he plopped down, staring up at all the Handsome Jack artwork on the wall, recalling that Adelia taunted him for having so much on the wall, and now, he could very well be counting his days because of her. He groaned loudly, running his hands through his messy hair as he stared down at the floor. He didn't want his life to be like this... But he was enjoying the excitement and laughter she brought to him, and honestly... It was nice to have her around, despite not knowing much about her, beyond the fact that she spoke in her sleep sometimes, and they weren't good mumbles.   
Suddenly, his erection throbbed, breaking him out of his thoughts as he stared down at it. Looking back at the door, he heard Adelia humming softly to herself, figuring he had enough time as he slid his length out of his pants, lazily getting to work with it, his thoughts going to her.

* * *

After about fifteen minutes, Adelia turned off the water, frowning at her internal struggle. On one hand, she felt that Rhys deserved to know her history, given that they were getting close - she'd rather be honest with him than feel like she deceived him any further -, but on the other hand, what if he hated her the way Jack probably would? What if he ratted her out to Jack? But... If he did find out later, what if he hated her after? She ran her hands through her wet, long hair, groaning quietly to herself with her inner argument was definitely bothering her, but she was tossed from her thoughts as she heard Rhys let out a breathy moan of her name, making her cheeks flare up to a bright crimson, and with that, she decided to tell him the truth. If he was going as far as to think about her while touching himself... He deserved to know what he could be getting into. 

Drying herself off, she pulled her (his) shirt over her head, pulling it down to her mid-thighs as she hummed softly, carefully brushing her hair with a cheap brush he had bought her the day after she was moved in with him, she pulled it into two little buns on either side of her head, letting her bangs, and a few strands on the side of her face, hang down - she didn't like leaving her hair down when it was soaking wet, and it took way too long to blowdry. She sighed, leaning against the counter as she took a deep breath, standing back up as she unlocked the door, looking at Rhys lounging back on the couch, flipping through the channels in his holo-tv. 

Hearing the door open, he turned his head back, looking at Adelia with a smile. "Had a nice shower?" He asked, his cheeks flushing a light pink as he stared at her; his shirt hugged her shoulders lightly, showing off her slender neck, but clung to all of her curves. Her hair, in cute little buns on either side of her head. "Wait, what's wrong?" He questioned, looking at her troubled face.

"Rhys... I need to talk to you about something but I need you to promise me not to tell anyone."


	8. Chapter 8

"You're a Siren?!" Rhys exclaimed, staring at Adelia with wide eyes, his eyes tracing over her markings, markings that covered nearly her entire body - that he could see anyways.  
"Rhys, please, don't be so loud," Adelia pleaded with him, holding her hands out to him, only to flinch as Rhys scooted away from her, he was scared of her, and he knew she knew that; she just hoped it wouldn't have happened like this.

Rhys stared at her uneasily, reaching his cybernetic arm out to her, hesitantly traced along one of the tattoos on her hand, staying quiet while he tried to form his sentence. He knew deep down that if she had wanted to hurt him, she would've already done it, and _definitely_ wouldn't have kissed him. "I have several questions," He began after a few minutes, lifting his eyes to stare at Adelia. "Why did you hide it from me and Jack?"  
"Jack doesn't like Sirens, not since his daughter killed his wife," She answered truthfully, staring at him.

"Then, why didn't you tell me?" He asked. "And, why didn't you just fight off Hugo if you're one of the all-powerful Sirens we always read about?"

"I didn't know how you'd react if I told you. I didn't want you to be scared of me all the time. I did and do plan to tell Jack eventually, but right now isn't a good time. But with you... I figured you would understand why I kept it hidden. As for Hugo... I'm not exactly at my strongest right now," She half-lied. She could've easily killed Hugo on her own, but she didn't want to. She knew if she used her powers, she was going to be too weak without any Eridium to lift her back up, or any beast she could drain their life-force from.

"... What powers do you have?" He asked another question, this one in a more serious tone. She couldn't help but smile at his childish enthusiasm - at least he wasn't pressing too hard on her and he seemed to understand. And, she was right, he did mildly understand wanting to keep it secret. It wasn't exactly hidden knowledge that Jack disliked Sirens, and, well, any Pandorian person or beast. 

"... All of them?" She responded, scratching the back of her head with her free hand with an awkward chuckle. "I'm the original one. From a few millennia ago."  
That did it, he stilled his fingers against her markings, staring at her in complete awe. She definitely didn't look a few thousand years old, but then again... how would someone who was that old look? How do Sirens even age? So many questions flooded his mind as he stared at her, but only one managed to come to the surface. "How is that possible?"  
"When Pandora was first discovered a few thousand years ago, my people - the Eridians - all had some type of form of this power, but as generations began to progress, the powers weakened and became weaker and weaker. We had a lifespan of a few hundred years, but as people got older, there were... fertility issues. Babies were being born further and further apart, and, despite the Sirens trying their hardest to help the non-Sirens reproduce, it just didn't work. Panic ensured and the Vaults were built and scattered across the galaxy as some left to pursue a chance of starting a new life somewhere else, and hopefully carry on our legacy. But, as only one of each Siren power remained, hope was running short for our breed. That was when I was conceived, somehow. I was born with very weak powers, but I was the last hope my people had," She paused, staring at him watching her, making sure she wasn't overloading him as he slowly nodded, signaling her to continue. "As the other six Sirens passed on, they bestowed their powers onto me, and I grew stronger with each death that came, and by ten years old, I had every power. I could bestow my powers onto anyone, but as it was scattered across to non-Eridians, my powers grew unstable. I had been surviving off of creatures my race had brought to the planet, along with ones I had specifically crafted with my powers. Eventually, the new age Sirens wanted more. They wanted my power. I was only twenty when the uprising began. They ravaged the planet and a lot of its resources, leaving it in the wasteland it is today. They killed my kind left and right, trying to get to me. In an effort to protect myself, I hid away in the Vault of the Warrior -"  
"The one Jack was so determined to open..." Rhys cut in, staring at her with widened eyes, not sure if he should believe her or not, but he wanted to believe her, despite how unbelievable it sounded.

She nodded. "Yes, that one. Using the last of my powers, I made the Vault Keys with some of my powers and some rocks from the Vaults the Sirens had made before me. I was safe, for a while. Nobody could find me since I had gone so deep underground, or so I thought. As I finished the Vault keys, I began teleporting them elsewhere, because each Vault held a bit of our power. We didn't want it to get abused by the wrong people, but there was one Siren who managed to locate me and teleport into the Vault with me. Her powers were much stronger than mine since I had spent a few days crafting and sending off Vault keys to save my planet, but, I did manage to get the Guardian my people had placed to hold her down while I leech some power off of her, but unfortunately... It killed her. I had lost control of myself since I was so weak, and the intake of power set me over the edge. In disgust and fear for the planet, I had the Warrior take me into its chest and deliver me into the core of Pandora. And I stayed there until the rebelling Sirens started to die off one by one. As they died, their powers grew weaker with each pass down, but, I could see the damage the bandits were causing on the planet, and it pained me. Once I was strong enough, I sent a Vault Hunter a vision of the Warrior to save me, so I could try and save the planet after I received a vision of a pair of Sirens coming to Pandora and practically destroying everything my people worked for. I left him a failsafe in case things went wrong and he assumed malicious intent, and that Vault Hunter-"

"Was Jack..?" He asked quietly, his eyes widening as she nodded her head slowly. Rhys stayed quiet for a few minutes, really mulling over all the information she had given him; honestly, most of it sounded unbelievable, but... It was Pandora, anything is possible on Pandora.

"Rhys..?" She asked softly, looking up at him, breaking him out of his trance.

"Yeah?" He responded, looking into her grey eyes with his bicolored eyes. He could see the sincerity and worry in them as she broke her gaze away from him, slowly tugging her hand from his.

"I'm sure you don't want to be around me after I deceived you. I can ask Jack for a new helper if it'd make you more comfortable-" She started, only to be cut off by Rhys pressing his lips lightly to hers, giving her a soft kiss. 

Slowly, she moved her hands to his cheeks, returning his gentle kiss with a slightly rougher one of her own. Feeling him pull away from her, she opened her eyes, staring up at him, her cheeks matching the same shade of red as his. "I don't hate you. I understand you had your reasons," He whispered to her, his left hand gingerly caressing along her left cheek as he stared down at her. "If you wanted to hurt me or held any intent to, I doubt you would've let me kiss you. Or sleep with you-" He paused, his face turning a brighter crimson at his wording. "I mean... Cuddle with you, oh God, that sounds even worse," He mumbled the last part.

"You're right. I wouldn't have picked you to help me out if I planned to hurt you," She reassured, smiling up at him, getting a soft sigh of relief from him in response. "Plus, it's fun to fluster you," She teased, sticking her tongue out at him.

"H-hey, I can fluster you back!" He exclaimed quickly, his cheeks darkening even more if that were even possible when she arched a brow at him as if she were telling him 'do it, then'. "Don't regret this, then," He finally said, smirking as he lowered his lips to hers, kissing her passionately this time. He let his left hand trail down her cheek, his fingertips dancing along her pale skin as her body shuddered lightly underneath him, a soft gasp escaping her, while his cybernetic arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him as he slowly laid her down on the couch, positioning himself between her legs as she let out another gasp, breaking their kiss to look up at him with a red face, causing him to smirk, slowly pulling himself away from her.

"No... Don't stop," She pleaded to him with half-lidded eyes, gazing up at him in a lustful manner, her hands gradually sliding up his arms, her right hand tangling in his messy hair while she leaned up, pressing her lips hungrily to his while her left one wrapped around his neck, bringing him down to her again. He'd be lying if he said he didn't like this side of her, the want and need for him was definitely turning him on as he returned her hungry kiss with one of his own, a low groan escaping him as her legs twitched against his sides, squeezing him lightly. 

"Addy," He whispered, pulling his lips from hers again. "If we don't stop..." He began to warn her, only to be cut off by her index finger.

"I know what will happen, Rhysie," She responded with a soft whisper.

"But your leg and back-"  
"Will be fine. Just be gentle, it is my first time after all," She reassured him, smiling as her eyes twinkled in delight at his shocked face.

"Y-You mean..."  
"Yes," She answered quietly, staring up at him as he had a fight with himself internally. On one hand, he'd love to be the one to take her virginity and just... be one with her in general, but on the other hand, he did feel like that was a bit too much commitment to him already. He at least wanted to take her to dinner, and he had so many more questions about her and her origins, but he knew he shouldn't press too much harder. She seemed really pained to talk about it.

"N-no," He finally said as her face scrunched up slightly, his arms removing themselves from her as he slid away from her, back to a sitting position on the couch. "I can't. Your first time should be with someone you love and care about."

She stayed quiet before she slowly moved to sit up, looking at him with a reddened face. He couldn't help but look at her, noticing how much her freckles stood out against her reddened cheeks. He wanted to take her where she sat, but he knew it wouldn't be right of him. She needed to do it with someone she really cared about, and he knew that wasn't him. 

"Well... how about you take me to dinner after we shop, and if it happens... Then it happens?" She suggested, getting a look of shock from him. It was like she read his mind about taking her to dinner.

"... I can agree to that," He agreed, nodding his head slowly. "But, if it does happen, you better not regret it later," He warned, wagging his cybernetic index finger at her, causing her to giggle.

"I won't, I won't," She said, gripping his cool, metal hand with hers lightly. "You should go get dressed so we can go shopping, Rhysie," She continued, giving him a wink as she stood up, pulling her dress down before she wobbled over to her chair, sitting down in it with a smile. 

"Fine, I'll get dressed," He said, rolling his eyes with a smile.

* * *

It had been about four hours since they started shopping. Much to Rhys's dismay, Adelia had held true to her threat of making him buy her undergarments and even hid what she picked out from him. He did pout and try to peek into her bag, only for her to threaten to wear only that to bed tonight, which ultimately stopped him from peeking. If she threatened him, he knew she was serious, especially after she held through on her threat about the lingerie store, and given what happened earlier in his room... He was quite on the fence about making her follow through on her threat or respecting his morals.   
"Rhys," Adelia said, wheeling herself over to him in the last store she had planned to go in. They had been in several, but most of them were for him over her. In her lap, she had a white, lacy dress similar to the one she has come out of the Vault in - white was her favorite color, after all. Also on her lap were a pair of red short shorts, probably for her to sleep in, as well as a few plain shirts. "Are you done shopping? I have enough now."

"You only have three outfits, Addy. That's not enough," Rhys chastised, picking up a long-sleeved, red dress, similar to the shirt she was wearing now, except, this was actually a dress. The top of it was sewn down, giving the appearance of it being folded over while two straps were connected on the shoulders, the bottom of it looked as if it would stop about her mid-thighs. "Besides, you bought plain stuff, you need more fancy stuff," He teased, setting this dress down in her lap. He knew she was a medium after she had herself measured before they started.

"Rhysie, I don't want to spend all your money," She said, rolling her eyes, despite her red cheeks. "Besides, I don't plan on going anywhere fancy. I don't need more than one or two things," She continued, staring up at him, tilting her head to the side as he held his mouth open.

"What if you go places with me? I'd want you to be fancy if you're going to be my date," He said, his cheeks turning crimson at his words once he realized what he said. She couldn't help but smile, covering her mouth as she laughed.   
"Two outfits are enough, Rhys. Even if I am your date somewhere. Just grab me a yellow dress in case it's a Hyperion thing," She finally said, watching him visibly relax over the fact that she didn't seem opposed to going places with him. She really didn't intend to stay as long as she had, but... She couldn't lie if someone asked if she was happy - she definitely was. It was a nice change of pace from how it had been before she went into the Vault.

She smiled as Rhys picked up a Hyperion yellow dress with see-through sleeves, a grey stripe running down the side of it as he held it up to her. "I think red looks better on you, but we'll get this one just to be safe," He passively complimented her, not even realizing he had done so until he noticed her cheeks flushing a light pink. "I, uh... I mean you look good in anything, but-"  
"Rhys," She whispered, covering her face as she looked down, feeling the eyes of other people watching them in amusement, probably thinking they were a couple. "Can we please go home?" She mumbled through her hands. He couldn't help but chuckle, his own cheeks flushing a light pink as he set the dress down on top of the other clothes she had picked out. Wheeling her over to the register, he set all of the items up on the counter, including a suit he had picked out previously to match the Hyperion colored dress he planned to pick out for her anyway - it was a grey suit with a yellow vest, as well as yellow accents such as buttons, handkerchief, and a thin, yellow strip down the right arm. 

After paying for his stuff, he set the bag on the back of her wheelchair handle, pushing her towards their room. "I don't think I've ever seen you so embarrassed, Addy," He teased, his smile falling from her face as he looked down at her death glare.

"I don't like being around a lot of people," She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, her stomach betraying her as it growled loudly.

"I'll keep that in mind, but, you're going to have to get used to being around a lot of people, you can't stay cooped up in our room all the time," He responded, laughing at her stomach growling as he opened their bedroom door, pushing her inside. "Good thing I grabbed some burgers before we left the food court."  
"My savior," She joked, watching him as he grabbed the food bag off of the left handle of her chair.   
"I'll have our clothes washed tonight, so don't worry about putting them up," He said, holding his hand out to her. She smiled at him, placing her small hand in his large one, allowing him to help her stand. "So... How about a movie while we eat?" He asked, helping her make her way to his couch, watching as she sat down, his eyes gazing at her in awe - he really couldn't believe how cute she was.

"Sure, I'll watch anything," She answered, patting the cushion next to her. He grinned down at her, taking a seat next to her before handing her a styrofoam container, laughing as her stomach growled loudly. "Smells good, you better not have let me down with picking our food."

"I swear I didn't. I eat there all the time, they have the best burgers and fries," He reassured, opening his box. Glancing over at her, he smiled as her face lit up in excitement. He couldn't help but wonder if this were the first time she had a meal like this, he did know it was her first good meal in a while since he had been bringing her typical cafeteria food instead of actual food. Bringing his drink to his mouth, he took a sip, 

"It smells so good," She whispered, slowly picking up a fry and putting it in her mouth, letting out a soft moan of pleasure, causing him to choke on his drink. "Are you alright?" She asked, looking over him with a worried expression.

"Yep," He responded through his coughing, his ears red from hearing her moan as he brought a fry up to his mouth. "What?" He asked, looking at her worried face.

"Nothing, just making sure you're alright, Rhysie. Can't have you dying on me," She teased, sticking her tongue out at him playfully before she picked up the burger, taking a small bite of it, her eyes widening.

"Delicious, isn't it?" He asked, nudging her with his elbow lightly. She nodded her head quickly, taking another small bite. He couldn't help but chuckle, flipping through the movie channels on his holo-tv. "What kind of movies do you like?"  
"Hm... I don't know. I never watched one before," She said, smiling at him, a small bit of ketchup on her chin as she looked at him. Reaching his hand out, he lightly rubbed the ketchup off of her chin, licking it off of his finger.

"How about a horror movie then?"  
"Why, so you can scream and hide in my breasts? Didn't you get a good enough feel of them last night?" She teased.  
"I-..." Rhys started, huffing a bit, his face flaring a bright crimson. "Fine, we'll watch a romance one," He mumbled, putting on a typical romance movie, causing her to giggle at his pouty expression. He didn't like horror movies and she knew he didn't; he wasn't that type of man from what she's seen with him.

"You don't have to try to impress me, Rhys," She said, looking at him with a warm smile. "You already did by willingly welcoming into your home and being so nice and proper to me."  
He felt his cheeks flush even darker at her words, quietly eating on his food. "Anyone would've done that," He mumbled, hearing her scoff quietly.

"Oh, please. Do you really think just anyone would look after me and not be grabby and stuff? Look at what Hugo did, just because I turned him down. Do you really think it would've been any better if I had picked him?" She asked him honestly, her grey eyes gazing at her.

"I-I mean... That's... Okay, that's fair..." He mumbled, swallowing hard as he looked away from her. He did still feel responsible for what happened between her and Hugo, especially considering she saved his ass from being thrown from an airlock or worse.

"Rhys... It's not your fault," She reassured him, softly cupping his cheek with her right hand, turning his face back towards her. "It's not your fault."  
"Yeah, but what if-"  
"Don't make yourself go crazy with the 'what if's, what happened, happened, and we can't take it back. We should be grateful it happened when you were so close. He could've very well killed you or done worse to me." Rhys stayed quiet. She had a point, Hugo would've gladly "accidentally" tossed him into space. Both of them stayed quiet, enjoying their meals and watching the (very) sappy love movie Rhys had picked out, neither one knowing what to say to each other after their previous conversation.

About thirty minutes into the movie and ten minutes after eating, Rhys felt his cybernetic arm press into his side. Turning his head, he couldn't help but smile at the sleeping Adelia resting against him; he thought she looked even more adorable as she slept. Slowly, he moved his arm out from under her head, moving it to wrap around her as he gently pushed her closer to him, letting her head rest against his chest as he turned his attention back to the movie. He still had a lot of questions for her, but he was sure they'd be answered in time.

Once the movie was over he stretched his arms a bit, letting out a yawn as he looked at the sleeping Adelia. He was amazed she had slept through everything, but then again, she did do a lot with him today, so he couldn't be fully surprised. Carefully, he got up, keeping his cybernetic arm against her shoulder before he leaned down, picking her up the way he normally carried her, only this time, his arm wasn't cold since it had been resting against her. He stiffened slightly, hearing her let out a soft yawn against his neck, looking down at her as she blinked her sleepy eyes, staring up at him. "Did I miss the movie?" She asked in a sleepy voice.

"You did, but it's alright," He said, smiling at her as she wrapped her arms around his neck, helping him carry her. "I was just about to move you to the bed and start laundry."

"You didn't have to," She responded, moving her head back to gaze at his face. Despite having just woke up, Rhys couldn't help but blush under her stare. "Let me make it up to you for missing the movie."  
"No, you were tired. You don't have to make anything up to me, Addy."  
"But I want to," She said, huffing quietly as Rhys set her down on the bed, keeping her arms wrapped around his neck.

"C'mon, Addy, you really don't have to. I have to start our laundry anyways," He sighed, smiling at how she was acting. He patted her head softly, ruffling her hair a bit despite her protests. "Let me start the laundry and then you can pay me back," He finally said, knowing that, with her stubbornness, she wasn't going to let this go until he agreed. 

Slowly, she unwrapped her arms from around his neck, grinning up at him. "Sounds fair to me," She agreed, scooting herself back on the bed more, watching him as he walked over to her wheelchair, taking the five bags that hung on the handles.   
"On the bright side, at least our laundry gets done quickly up here with all the worker bots," He jokingly said, kneeling down over the small garbage can as he began pulling the price tags off of each one carefully, being mindful not to rip any of the fabrics. Once he finished, he placed the pile of clothes on the laundry chute, closing it behind him as he walked back into the room, looking over at Adelia who was playing on her ECHO. "So, what do you have in mind?"

"You'll see," She responded, looking up from her ECHO briefly to wink at him. He definitely didn't know how to feel about that. She was planning something and he knew it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The smut begins. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

_This was a mistake. This was such a mistake._ Rhys thought to himself as he stared at the bathroom door. He asked Adelia what her plan to pay him back for falling asleep on him was and she responded... To show him her undergarments. On her. 'Since he was so tempted to peek in the bag earlier', her words rang in his head as he fidgeted uneasily on the bed, resting his head in his hands. The cool metal of his cybernetic hand felt extremely cold against his heated face as his heart pounded against his chest. 

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Adelia faced a similar problem. Her face was crimson red as she stared at her bust practically overflowing from the black, lacy bra. She cleared her throat quietly, adjusting her matching, lacy black underwear that barely covered her rear cheeks. In the store, it didn't look as revealing on the mannequins, so imagine her surprised when it barely covered her, and, to top it off, she bought a white, matching pair too. She turned on the water, splashing her red face with some cold water, trying to calm herself down. Why, oh why did she get herself into this? She looked down at the bright Hyperion yellow cast on her leg and was secretly happy that it was relatively small and not that bulky, just very noticeable. She sighed, grabbing a towel and wiping her face off - if she was going to pay Rhys back, she was going to do it properly since she had already committed. She wasn't a woman to go back on her word.

Taking a shaky breath, she opened the bathroom door, her grey eyes immediately going to a very red Rhys. She couldn't help but smile at how flustered he was already. "Look, Adelia, you really don't have to-" Rhys started, picking his head up to look at her only to stop mid-sentence, his eyes widening as his cybernetic, blue eye powered off, revealing a slightly more golden eye where the blue had been. "Holy shit," he whispered, taking in her features, the tent in his pants already growing as her own cheeks flushed a bright crimson, feeling his stare burning into her. His eyes examining her closely, taking note of her faint freckles on her shoulders that he hadn't noticed before - probably because the black against her fair skin made them stand out greatly more than a lighter color. 

Slowly, he stood up, walking over to her in a few large strides, his arms wrapping around her as he brought his lips against hers hungrily, a soft gasp escaping her as the cool metal pressed against her skin, but nonetheless, she returned his hungry kiss with a soft one of her own, her arms slowly wrapping around his neck. He wanted her earlier, and seeing her dressed like this for him, only made his want for her grow. Slowly, she pried her lips from his, getting a soft groan in response from him as he came down to reality, "I'm assuming you like it, then?" She whispered, smiling up at him with flushed cheeks.

"Oh, definitely," He whispered back, moving his left hand up to gently cup her cheek, his thumb trailing across her cheek, smiling as she shivered slightly under his touch, her eyes staring up at him. His entire demeanor had changed so quickly, it honestly shocked her, but she wasn't complaining - she'd be more concerned if he hadn't kissed her with such passion or hunger, but, she could tell he wanted her just as badly as she wanted him earlier. Holding her smile, she closed her eyes, pressing her lips against his once again, kissing him softly like before, a soft moan coming from her as he slid his cybernetic hand down from her waist, slowly caressing her left cheek, before he wrapped his arm around her thighs, lifting her up with ease. Breaking his lips from hers, he slid his left arm down to the middle of her back, his touch gentle, steadying her while he gazed at her. "Are you sure?" He asked softly. He did want her, but he didn't want to feel like she was forced into anything, however, it was clear she did want him as bad as he wanted her. 

"Yes," She whispered, her gaze meeting his. Her eyes widened as Rhys laid her back on the bed, being mindful of the burn on her back that had now mostly healed - she was shocked by how gentle he was being. From what she had seen back in her time (and what she briefly experienced with Hugo), most men were generally rough when it came to being intimate. 

"What's wrong?" He asked, feeling her tense against his hands, a look of worry on his face.

"N-nothing... I just didn't think you'd be so considerate," She admitted sheepishly, her cheeks flushing a bright red as she broke her gaze from his. "Most men are typically aggressive and rough when it comes to this stuff, at least, from what I've seen."

Rhys couldn't help but feel his heart drop, wondering what she had seen in the past. "I'd like to take pride in the fact that I am, in fact, gentle," He teased, taking her mind off of things, causing her to look up at him with a grin, laughing.

"That's a good thing to take pride in," She said, keeping a smile on his face as she slowly unwrapped her arms from his neck, letting them trail down his forearms, gripping his left arm softly, her grey eyes gazing back into his brown ones. "Rhys."  
"Yes?"  
"Kiss me," She said softly, both of their cheeks flushing at her sudden request. Rhys nodded, kissing her softly at first, pulling his lips from hers briefly, only to return back to them moments later with a more passionate kiss, his left hand slowly, and carefully, sliding out from under her, gradually making his way down her side, causing her to shudder under his touch, her legs twitching slightly once he reached her hips. He was loving every moment of her soft lips against his, but he wanted to taste every inch of her, and he planned on it, so, reluctantly, he pulled his lips from hers, adoring her little whines of protest.   
Moving his head by her right hear, he whispered softly, "Patience, love." Seconds later, he pressed his lips gingerly along her jawline, leaving a gentle trail of kisses down to the base of her neck, smiling as she tilted her head away from his, giving him a better angle. Painstakingly slow, he took her pale skin in his mouth, biting down on it lightly before giving it a harsh suckle, a low groan coming from him as her nails dug into his left arm, enjoying the sound of her soft moan escaping her. Using this distraction, he kept his lips against her neck, peppering it in gentle kisses while he positioned himself between her legs, his body flooding in goosebumps as she released a quiet gasp, feeling his erection press firmly against her delicate, clothed area. Her legs squeezed him slightly, causing another groan to erupt from him, only this time, his hips thrust softly against her - he was purposely taunting her with his slow and soft movements; he wanted to make sure she remembered how he made her feel so he could use it against her when she started to fluster him - but, to his surprise, she didn't moan. Instead, she bit her lip, holding in her moan to tease him back, a slight smirk on her face as she stared at him with half-lidded eyes, and, he loved every second of it. He smirked back at her, slowly shifting his weight onto his left arm, allowing his cybernetic right arm to graze along her warm skin and up her stomach, chuckling lowly as she shivered from his cool touch. Sliding his index finger under the front hook of her bra, he unhooked it with ease, secretly grateful that she had bought a bra that hooked in the front. He couldn't help but stare as either side of the bra fell off of her, revealing her perky, busty breasts. He licked his lips slowly, not noticing as her face heated up a bright crimson at her stare. Slowly, he grasped her right breast in his cybernetic hand, feeling her shudder beneath him as a soft gasp escaped her, both of her rosy buds perking up from both the cool metal against her and the coolness of the room hitting her. Grinning down at her flushed face, he couldn't help but take in how lovely she looked with her cheeks red, her grey eyes half-lidded and full of lust as she gazed up at him, her pearly whites lightly biting her rosy-colored bottom lip. "You're so beautiful," He couldn't help but whisper to her, smiling as her face heated up.

He really knew how to make her heart race, and she had definitely given him the benefit of the doubt with his charisma, then again... She knew he wanted to be like Jack, and he definitely was nailing the charismatic part. She couldn't help but flush under his stare and from his words, shifting underneath him as he moved his head down, his tongue slowly trailing around her left rosy bud, causing her to let out a soft gasp, her body twitching slightly. She wasn't sure how to process all the feelings she was feeling, but she'd worry about that later, for now, only one thing remained on her mind: Rhys's mouth taunting her nipple and his erection pressed firmly against her. It was definitely a different sensation from how she felt this morning - this time. she knew he wanted her. Moving from his left arm, he allowed his cybernetic arm to prop himself up this time, his teeth grazing against her nipple as he gave it a firm suckle while his left hand trailed down her body and under her panties, his index finger tauntingly pressing against her clit, snapping her out of her trance as her hips twitched slightly, a quiet moan escaping her. "Is now really the time for daydreaming?" He asked once he released her hardened bud, moving his face back over hers, staring down at her flushed face as he smirked, pressing his finger against her clit, rubbing it in swift, circular motions, licking his lips while his middle finger pressed against her entrance, teasing it, his smirk only widening at how wet she already was for him. She couldn't help but arch her back slightly, her left hand gripping his cybernetic arm as she tilted her head back, a loud moan coming from her.

"A-Ah... S-Shut it," She managed to whisper out through her moans, her hips slowly moving on instinct, in sync with his finger, her hips pressing against his middle finger as if she were begging for it to be inside of her. 

"I mean... I could just stop," He whispered in response to her, stilling his fingers, causing her to move both of her hands to his face, bringing it closer to his as she kissed him hungrily. She needed him and he knew it, but he was having so much fun teasing her, which was really unlike him - he had never felt so in control when it came to intimacy before, but he wasn't complaining; it was nice to see someone need him as bad as he needed them, and, truth be told, she was definitely bringing out another side of him he didn't know he had. Maybe she was rubbing off on him.  
She couldn't help but release a soft moan against his lips as he began to move his fingers again, slowly moving both his index and middle fingers to her entrance, rubbing against it to get them properly lubricated for a brief moment before he slowly slid them inside of her, pulling his lips from hers to watch her face, making sure he wasn't pushing her too hard too soon, only to visibly relax as her legs twitched against his sides, a loud moan of his name coming from her as she clenched his cybernetic arm in her hand, her head tilting back again as her body shivered lightly. "R-Rhys," She moaned out as he slid the entire length of his two fingers inside of her, his erection throbbing in his pants as he peppered her neck in soft, love bites, making sure not to leave many marks, but rather, just giving her soft nibbles here and there.

Moving his fingers faster, he massaged her inner wall, causing her back to arch towards him, her head tilting back as she let out a shuddering moan, her legs squeezing his sides tightly, causing a low groan to escape his lips. Slowly, she moved her hands to the buttons of his shirt, unbuttoning them with ease as his lips captured hers hungrily, returning his kiss with a hungry one of her own. Shoving his shirt down a bit, she tangled her fingers in his brown locks, pulling him closer to her as she released a few moans against his lips, feeling his fingers rub her inner walls, a gasp breaking their kiss as he slowly, and carefully slid in a third finger. He felt her tense around him, smirking as a shuddering moan escaped her again, her hands tugging at his hair roughly, causing a low moan to come from him again as she messed up his perfectly styled hair. After a few minutes of his rough, deep thrusting, she couldn't take his teasing anymore, she wanted him and she wasn't going to wait a moment longer. Moving her hand out of his hair, she cupped his cheek, causing him to still his fingers as he stared down at her, "Please," She whispered to him. "I can't take your teasing anymore," She admitted, her face flushing a dark red as he stared down at her, taking in her words. His own cheeks flushed as he processed what she said, planting a soft, but sweet kiss against her lips as he slid his fingers out of her, getting a soft gasp in response from her. Shrugging his unbuttoned, red short-sleeved shirt off, he moved off of her, unbuttoning his black jeans, watching as she slowly pulled her panties down, his eyes mesmerized by her fluid movements, allowing his jeans fall to the ground with a thud, kicking off his boxers before slowly taking her panties from around her ankles with a smirk, tossing them elsewhere. "You just bought those, if they get lost, you have to buy me more," She teased, rolling her eyes as she giggled at his eyebrow wiggle.

"I don't mind buying more," He responded, climbing on top of her once again, positioning himself between her thighs, chuckling as she twitched her legs slightly, feeling his erection pressing against her lower lips, a soft gasp escaping her lips. "I love when you moan for me," He blurted out suddenly, his face turning red as he stared down at her, his brown eyes meeting her grey ones.

Her own face heated up at his words, leaving her stunned for a moment before she smirked up at him. "And, I love how you moan for me," She flirted back, her smirk turning into a smile as his face turned even brighter if that were even humanly possible. Sliding her hands up his arms, she let her fingers dance along his skin and metal, before sliding them into his hair, bringing his head down to hers as she captured his lips with hers, taking the lead this time in their passionate, heated kiss, her legs relaxing against him as he moved his hips closer to hers, a faint moan coming from her as his tip broke past her lower lips, rubbing against her sensitive button as he ground his hips against her agonizingly slow. "Rhys, please," She pleaded once she broke their kiss, staring at him with lustful eyes.

"Patience," He whispered back, sliding his left hand down to rub his length against her wet slit, using her juices to properly lubricate himself before he positioned his lower head at her entrance, feeling her body tense slightly. She couldn't lie that she was nervous - it was her first time after all, and he was definitely not a shrimp, but, he was already on an ego high and she didn't want to raise it even further by commenting on his size. Lowering his face close to hers once again, he stopped just inches from her lips. "If it hurts too much, I'll stop, Adelia," He whispered reassuringly, taking her lips on his in a rough, passionate kiss, groaning against her lips when she gripped his hair lightly as he slowly slid his tip past her entrance, a low moan coming from him while a whimper came from Adelia, her right hand moving down to his back, her nails digging into his skin as she flinched slightly. It did hurt quite a bit, but she had heard it would always hurt at first - it just still caught her off guard. "Do you want me to stop?" He asked just barely above a whisper. He really didn't want to, but he'd respect her wishes.

"No," She whispered out, looking up at him with sincere eyes, "Don't stop." He smiled down at her, slowly shoving a few inches of his length inside of her, stopping when her nails dug into his skin, hearing the soft whimpers coming from her.

Moving his head down to her neck, he peppered the spots he found that aroused her greatly with soft kisses, feeling her relax around his girth slightly. "You're so tight," He whispered into her, her body trembling at his words, her heart pounding against her chest. This was really happening.

She tilted her head back, giving him more access to her neck, shuddering as his cool, cybernetic hand moved to grip her right breast, the cool fingers toying with her rosy bud, taking her mind off of the pain as he slowly moved his hips, making sure to keep about half of his length out of her, despite his need to shove himself in her to his hilt. After a few thrusts, she felt her pain starting to turn to pleasure, her hand digging into his back in pain released his skin as a few soft moans escaped her, her eyes shutting in pleasure from all three sensations on her at once - the soft kisses, the taunting of her erect nipple, and the slow, steady thrusts from him. "A-ah... R-Rhys," She moaned out, her back arching somewhat, causing her breast to press firmly against his cybernetic hand. 

Gradually, he picked up his pace, gingerly burying more of his length inside of her after a few thrusts each time, not wanting to hurt her any more than necessary. He was enjoying every moment of this, and from the sound of her moaning his name, she was, too. He couldn't help but wonder if he could make her scream his name, but that was something for another day - he didn't want to overload her so soon. Feeling his hips pressed against hers, his entire length buried in her to his hilt, she moaned his name loudly, tugging on his hair roughly, snapping him out of his determined thoughts to make her moan more for him. She brought his lips up to hers, kissing him roughly, moaning his name against his lips, her left hand tugging on his hair while her right hand gripped his back lightly, clawing at him, his cybernetic hand shifting off of her, only to be replaced by his left hand. He allowed his fingers to flutter down her fair-skinned stomach, stopping only when he reached her delicate, little button, his index and thumb fingers lightly pinching her button, twirling it slightly as she broke their kiss, a loud moan erupting from her, her head tilting back against the bed. Their skin glistened in sweat while a soft pressure was filling in her lower abdomen, her inner muscles grasping him snugly, her hips moving in sync with his hand, forcing him to grind against her innermost walls, and getting quite a few loud moans of her name from him. Picking up his aggressiveness, the bed shook under them, getting a few more loud moans of his name from her mouth while she slowly slid both of her hands back to his back, her fingers pressing into his skin roughly, leaving dark red imprints of her fingers before she clenched his back.

He knew he was reaching his climax, and from how her inner walls were clenching him, she was too. Releasing his grip from her button, he opted to just rub it in quick, aggressive circles, his lips seizing hers as her back arched, pressing her chest firmly against his, her nails digging into his skin, her inner muscles clenching him tightly as she came around him. He groaned her name out against her lips, his lower head leaking a bit of his climax, his hips keeping the same force and speed as he ejaculated inside of her, filling her. Slowing down significantly, he let out a few soft moans against her lips, emptying himself inside of her, feeling her body twitch against him in her own climax. Pulling his lips from hers, he opened his brown eyes, staring down into her half-lidded grey ones, both of them panting, before his eyes widened.

"S-shit, I was too caught up to pull out," He whispered quickly, slowly pulling his flaccid member out of her, getting a quiet gasp from her in response. 

"Rhys-"  
"No, no, this is bad," He whispered, kneeling back, running his hands through his messy hair.

"Rhys." She repeated.

"Shit, shit, shit, I should've worn a condom," He continued, not paying much attention to her.

Moving to a sitting position, she gripped his cheeks in both of her hands, turning his face towards her. "Rhys, I can't get pregnant," She said, a look of relief flooding his face.

"Oh." He said, honestly relieved to hear that. "Wait, what?"

"I'm not ovulating, and the chance for me to even get pregnant are already slim even if I were," She explained, letting her thumbs caress along his cheeks. "We can talk about it later. I need to shower," She said, cutting their convo off as she leaned forward, pressing her lips gently to his before she slowly moved back, using the nightstand and wall to hobble into the bathroom. "Feel free to join me," She said, winking at him, leaving the door unlocked, but closed behind her. She needed a shower, she was definitely sweaty from their activity. Turning the water on, she readied her towel and washcloth before stepping in.

Meanwhile, Rhys had turned crimson from her shower offer, but more than anything, he was confused by her words. Hearing the shower turned on, he debated on joining her, ultimately deciding to. He knew it wouldn't turn into anything sexual, but he did want to help her clean up. Standing up, he grabbed a pair of grey, silk pajama pants from the nightstand drawer, opening the door to the bathroom, being greeted by a smiling Adelia. "I figured I should at least help you clean up," He admitted, his cheeks flushing a light pink, setting his pants down by her towels. 

"Well, I'm flattered you're being such a gentleman," She teased, moving to wrap her arms around his neck, giving him a gentle kiss, squealing quietly as he slid his arms under her thighs, carrying her into the shower, a chuckle coming from him.

* * *

Having both finished showered, Rhys was laying beneath Adelia's head, lightly playing with her damp, black hair, his other hand looking over some coding someone in his department had sent to him to look over. He did his best to blowdry it but ultimately gave up after she suggested he just stop and let her put her hair up in buns. She did warn him it'd take a few hours of blowdrying, but he didn't believe her - he does now. "Hey, Addy?" He asked, setting his ECHO down once he finished reviewing the code, deciding to deal with it later.

"Yeah?" She asked sleepily, turning her head to look at him. He found it adorable that she wore one of his shirts to bed again, despite the fact that she did buy pajamas (or at least he thought she did). 

"What did you mean when you said your chances of getting pregnant are slim?" He asked, his cybernetic eye had powered back on after their shower.

"I'm a halfling," She answered sleepily. "My chances are getting pregnant are less than 2% even if I am ovulating. Eridians already had a low fertility rate, and being spliced with my human father made it even lower," She continued to explain. 

"I never would've guessed your father was human," He said, amazed that she was so willing to admit more about herself to him.

"Mmhm.." She responded, smiling up at him. "He was a great dad. Out-lived my mom and raised me up, despite not knowing much about our kind. The elders loved him, but he, unfortunately, was killed in the uprising by a rogue Siren trying to find me. I tried to save him, but that was the day I had to go into the Vault. He wouldn't let me and told me to run and not look back." Rhys stayed quiet, feeling guilty for bringing up bad memories. "Don't frown, it happened a long time ago. I had my revenge on that Siren and had time to mourn," She said, opening her eyes a bit wider as she stared up at him, moving her left hand up to gently cup his cheek. 

"Revenge?" He asked softly. "You mean, that was the one who..?"  
"Yeah... I still regret it to this day. If it had been someone else, they might've gotten away with their life, but my rage just overcame me. She was the leader of the uprising and the main reason the Eridians started to die out."

"Then, I'm confused," He said, knitting his brows together. "Where does Eridium come from?"  
"From the Siren powers lost to time," She answered, smiling at his confused face. "I kept the planet alive as they ravaged it, as I had very loosely told you earlier. I seeped my power gradually into the planet into what is now called Eridium. That's why so many Sirens get addicted to the power of it and why it can be fatal to humans. When some of the powers were to be reassigned, they had absorbed some of my Eridium before their death, so it slowly killed off all the rouge Sirens, returning them back to the planet."  
"This is insane," He whispered, breaking his gaze from her to stare up at the ceiling. "It's so... fascinating."  
She couldn't help but giggle at his enthusiasm. "Now, I have a question for you."  
"Should I be scared?"  
"Maybe," She teased, winking at him. "Why did your cybernetic eye turn off earlier when you saw me in my underwear?"  
"Oh, I can turn it off at will. Everything I see or scan gets uploaded to the Hyperion database. I figured you didn't want that exposed to everyone. Only someone with a lot of power, like Jack, could find the memory of that since I shut my eye off so fast," He answered sheepishly.

"So, does that mean what I told you was uploaded to the database too?" She questioned. She really didn't care if it did, she knew Jack was going to find out eventually anyway.

"Yeah- Oh no." He said, his face falling slack as he stared at the ceiling. "I'm sorry, I should've asked. It never occurred to me to turn it off."

"It's fine," She responded, patting his chest lightly. "Accidents happen," She smiled up at him. She wasn't very worried, she knew Jack probably wouldn't be that interested in anything like that unless it was brought to his attention; he was too busy stroking his own ego. 

"No, it's not right. I'll try to delete it when I get back to work once your leg heals," He promised, shifting his gaze down to her. "I'll make it up to you, I promise." 

"Come to Pandora with me, then," She said, not missing a beat, causing him to stare at her in disbelief. "I'm serious."  
"But your leg-"  
"Will be fine," She responded, quoting earlier. "I need to restore my power if I'm going to get this cast off any time soon."  
"Couldn't you just get some off of me?" He questioned her.

"I could, but I refuse."  
"Why?"  
"What if I lose control and take too much from you, Rhysie?" She asked seriously, staring at him concerned. "What if it kills you or makes you extremely weak?"  
Rhys stayed quiet. He knew she had a point. He did trust her to not take too much, but if she didn't trust herself, she definitely wasn't going to listen to him. Begrudgingly, he let out a loud sigh, rubbing his face with his cybernetic arm. "Fine, but I'm bringing my stun stick," He warned.  
"I don't think you could hurt a butterfly if you wanted to," She joked, smiling up at him. "Don't worry, where we're going, there shouldn't be any bandits or anything for you to worry about. And I wouldn't wear your skag-skinned boots."

"Of course, I wouldn't want to ruin them," He said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm serious. You should wear something you can trek on rough terrain with that isn't so costly."  
"I know, I know," He said, smiling at her concern.  
She patted his chest lightly, smiling up at him as she turned away from him, putting her back against his side. "Goodnight, Rhysie."

His face turned into a pout - he had enjoyed her resting on his chest. "Addy."  
"Yes?" She asked, turning her head back to glance at him.

"Come back," He whined softly, causing her to laugh softly at how cute he was being. "I still have work to do before I fall asleep. Please?"

She rolled her eyes, her smile growing across her face again as she turned back over to face him, placing her head on his chest again, listening to his steady heartbeat. "You can be so adorable when you pout," She teased, trailing her hand down and around his waist. "Don't stay up too late, we're going to go when we wake up in the morning, so we can be back before Jack notices."

"I wasn't pouting," He mumbled, his cheeks flushing a light pink, a small smile on his face as he wrapped his cybernetic arm around her back. "I won't. Goodnight, Adelia," He said, pressing his lips softly to the top of her head.

"Goodnight, Rhys," She responded, her cheeks flushing slightly from his sweet gesture, closing her eyes as she let out a soft yawn. She relaxed against him, feeling him pick up his ECHO with his left hand, slowly drifting off to a soft, dreamless sleep to the sounds of his heartbeat and the sound of his fingers clicking on the keys quietly.

After about an hour, Rhys finally finished correcting what needed to be done, slowly unwrapping his cybernetic arm from her to grab his ECHO, setting it on the nightstand behind her. He rubbed his face sleepily with his left hand, smiling down at her sleeping, petite figure against him. She was so cute to him, even when she slept, and even if she always made him blush. Turning to face her, he carefully slid his right arm underneath her, pulling her closer to him while his left hand wrapped around her waist. He chuckled when she nuzzled her face against his chest, getting comfortable against him once again. Closing his eyes, he drifted off to sleep, despite his nervousness for going to Pandora with her.

* * *

**_The next morning (4:50 AM)..._ **

Adelia was humming softly to herself while Rhys slept in the bed, running her brush through her long, messy, still-damp hair. She was definitely sore from last night, but she had things she had to do today, especially if she was going to start getting things prepared for the storm that was coming. She had realized after she slept that Jack probably noticed when Rhys's eye had gone offline last night, and he was going to be on the prowl to get answers, especially if he had dug into the files further (which she was sure he did). She was more worried about how he'd react to Rhys over her - she could defend herself, but she knew Rhys would be scared to death to stand up to him, and she couldn't blame him. Once she finished brushing the knots out of her wavy hair, she peeked out the bathroom door, smiling at the quietly snoring Rhys cuddling the pillow she slid in place of her. Quietly walking over to where the cleaner bots had placed their clean laundry, she meticulously went through the clothes, not wanting to make a mess. Pulling out a dark red, short-sleeved v-neck, her new bra and panties she had briefly wore last night, and a pair of plain black leggings, she walked quietly back to the bedroom after fixing the pile of clothes, being mindful not to wake him yet. Slowly, she pulled his shirt over her head and off of her, folding it neatly and leaving it on the counter before she slid her panties on, clipping her bra on soon after, followed by sliding on the rest of her clothes. She adjusted her shirt, tugging the pinched up parts of her leggings down, smiling at how good she did look in colors - up until now, she had only really worn black or white, but she knew Rhys wasn't going to let that pass yesterday (by his very long rant he started when she only picked out a few white dresses). He also had personally picked out these leggings for her, saying she needed something to keep her warm when it got cool on Helios since it did mimic the seasons of Pandora closely - fall, winter, spring, and summer.

Once she was satisfied with her hair, she knelt down in front of Rhys, softly poking his nose. "Rhysie," She whispered to him, smiling as he groaned, scrunching up his face. "It's time to get up." After a few minutes, he groaned loudly, blinking his eyes slowly as Adelia giggled quietly, sitting next to him.

"Do I have to?" He said tiredly. She loved his sleepy voice, it was more hoarse and deeper than normal.

"Yes, you really have to," She answered him, smiling down at him as he turned his head to look at her with his sleepy eyes. "We'll be back in a few hours so you can go back to sleep," She reassured, getting a groan in response from him.

He groaned again, reaching up to grab her arm, pulling her down onto him, causing her to yelp in surprise. "I'm not ready to get up. Let's lay like this a while longer," He suggested, closing his eyes, enjoying the feel of her against him again. 

She couldn't help but smile at his actions, patting his arm lightly. "I know you're tired, but we have to go. You promised me," She reminded him, getting a loud snore in response from him. "I know you're awake, I see your lips twitching to fight a smile." She laughed, slowly sliding out from his arms as he laughed with her, turning over to face her.

"Fine, I'll get ready," He finally said, uncovering himself, his morning wood making a very obvious tent in his pants as her cheeks flushed a bright crimson, remembering how she felt with him inside of her last night. Apparently, he had the same thought as he quickly covered his lap with the pillow he was holding.   
"Make sure you wear something comfortable. And remember, not your expensive boots."  
"I remember, I remember," He said, rolling his eyes with a small smile, wrapping his cybernetic arm around her as he moved to sit next to her for a brief moment, his lips pressing softly against the side of her forehead.

* * *

Rhys had dressed in an outfit similar to Adelia's with a red, long sleeve, button-down, and black jeans - his usual attire when he was going out. He had a pair of basic hiking boots on, amazed that Adelia opted to go barefoot, despite his protests. Honestly, he was still reeling from the feeling of her teleporting them to Pandora. He felt nauseous, but at the same time, not that bad since he had used fast travel - the only difference was hers was warm and welcoming while the mechanical ones were cool and hurried. He lifted his cybernetic arm over his eyes, looking up at Helios from where they stood. "It's so hot down here. And the gravity is much harsher than I expected," He commented, looking over at her petite figure easily traversing through the rocks, her feet not even getting blemished by the ragged rock. "How are you doing that, anyway?" He asked, catching up to her in a few, stumbling strides. 

"Doing what?" She asked, looking over at him.  
"Walking barefoot on these rocks. I can feel them through my thick boots. Plus, how are you walking on a broken leg?"  
"Oh," She said, smiling at him. "I just put a small barrier between my feet and the ground. I could make myself levitate, but that takes a lot of energy. Here," She said, her tattoos glowing lightly as a small, purple light came from below his shoes. He blinked slowly as the feel of the rocks disappeared. "Better?" She asked, smiling at him. "As for my leg, I'm using some of my powers to keep the bone steady while I move it. Since I'm not actually putting pressure on my feet, it's like the wind is just moving it slightly."

"I wish you wouldn't use your powers if they make you weaker," He blurted out, covering his mouth soon after with wide eyes as she stilled herself.

"Small amounts like this won't hurt me unless I do it for hours," She answered, walking over to him. "But, I appreciate the concern," She continued, moving her hands to cup his flushing face gently. "I need you to turn your eye off. I don't want anyone to know about this place." At her words, he blinked his eyes slowly, his cybernetic eye turning from a blue to a honey color in the rising sun. Moving his left hand up, he lightly cupped her hand in his, leaning down to give her a soft kiss, smiling as she gave him one back. "So affectionate, Rhysie," She whispered to him, smiling at him.

"What? Would you prefer I don't give you kisses?" He teased, laughing as her face flushed a light pink. 

"I never said I didn't like it," She said quickly, moving her hand off of his face, keeping a light grip on it as she turned her back to him, feeling his eyes immediately going to her ass. He was checking her out, despite having had her last night, he did want seconds, and her ass looked damn good in the leggings he had picked out for her. They hugged every curve of her hips with such accuracy. "I can feel you burning literal holes into my ass," She called out to him, looking at him over her shoulder, laughing as his face flared a bright crimson. "We're here," She said, releasing his hand to walk off the edge of the cliff, dropping down before her feet caught her with ease, a purple light shining beneath her as she lowered herself fully to the ground.

"How am I supposed to get down there?!" He exclaimed, staring down at her with fear written all over his face. She didn't expect him to jump, did she?

"Jump and land on your feet, just like I did," She called back up to him. "I'll catch you."  
Her words definitely didn't boost his confidence. He was double, if not triple, the size of her. Just as he was opening his mouth to answer, he heard a few yells behind him, his body tensing as all the tiny hairs on him stood upright. Slowly turning his head, he saw a psycho screaming about meat bicycles charging at him. Deciding to trust her, he quickly shimmied off the cliff - face first. He screamed the whole way down while Adelia had to cover her face, tears running down her cheeks from laughter - his girlish scream caught her off guard. Moving her right hand away from her face, she used her left hand to wipe the tears from her face, still laughing as she Phaselocked him, catching him in place and slowly flipping him onto his feet, dropping him the rest of the way down - literally about a foot. 

"That was not funny!" He exclaimed as she walked over to him, still holding her stomach as she laughed.

"It was hilarious. What did you see to make you fall face first?" She asked through her laughs, slowly taking a shaky breath as a bit of blood dripped out of her nose. She tilted her head to the side as his face grew into a frown, her cheeks flushing a light pink as he cupped her cheek with his right hand, the metal cool on her skin despite being in the desert heat. He slowly wiped the blood off with the left sleeve of his shirt, still scowling.

"You shouldn't have done that," He mumbled, his face full of worry.   
"I'm fine, Rhys," She reassured him. He was definitely treating her like she was a delicate flower when she was, in fact, like a cinderblock. "I just haven't used my powers in a while. It happens from time to time, especially since I've been concealing my markings. That's why we're here."

"But-"  
"I'm _fine,_ " She stressed to him, rolling her eyes with a smile. "I appreciate your concern, but I'm not a little delicate flower. If anything, I'm like a cinderblock. It'll take a lot to crack or break me," She said, grinning up at him.

He couldn't help but laugh at her comparison, his face softening as he slowly released his grip on her. "Fine, fine. I guess you're right. You did survive the attack while protecting Jack. Also, I saw a psycho charging at me, screaming about a... meat bicycle?"

"Exactly," She said, smiling at him. She gripped his hand, leading him over to a hole in the cliff, laughing at his description of the psycho. "I'm not surprised, from what I've witnessed, they're very obsessed with them. Also, don't pull your stun weapon out, and they'll leave you alone," She said, looking up at him.

"They? Who is 'they'?" He asked, clenching her hand tightly.

"You'll see," She said, smiling as she led him through the dark tunnel of the cave, coming out at a small oasis buried beneath the surface of Pandora. There were several skags running around while rakks cried out, playing with one another in the sky, bullymongs were carrying several rocks around as if they were helping skags out as a few older skags followed next to them. Seeing all of these creatures caused him to shiver and make a confused face for a brief moment before it fell into a surprised one as all of the creatures paused where they were, turned to look at her, and bowed their front down in submission to her while the rakks had landed on the tree in front of them, tweeting happily for her arrival.

"Are these-"  
"The ones I made, yes," She said, smiling up at him. "That's why I told you to stay close to me, but since you have my blood on your shirt, you should be safe, but just to be extra safe," She paused, pulling his left wrist up to her lips, giving it a soft kiss as a light purple light formed around his arm, causing him to look away before a small, medium blue band appeared across his skin in a similar fashion of her markings. 

"What is this?" He asked, looking at it with a curious expression.  
"I marked you with my scent. They'll leave you be as long as you don't try to intentionally harm any of them."  
"Oh," Was all he could manage to say, still confused about how everything worked with her. What he had learned in college was vastly different when it applied to her. Breaking his gaze off his wrist, he looked around the brightly lit cavern, his face falling in awe as he actually saw the beauty below - the water, unlike the water on the surface, was a clear color while the vegetation was a nice green, covering along the floor of the cave. "Did you make this?" He couldn't help his mouth as he questioned. He vaguely remembered her talking about how Pandora used to be before the uprising and wondered if this is how it used to be.

"Yes," She said, smiling at him, finding his amazed face adorable. "When the uprising started, I used a good bit of my powers to create this cavern for my creations to hide away until I came back. I wanted to save what I could in hopes it would help the planet return to its former glory, but, with the psychos and bandits running around like they are now... It won't happen any time soon," She said the last part quietly, frowning a bit. "Go explore if you want, I'll be here. They won't touch you, if anything, they'll just sniff you." As she finished talking, a rakk cried out, flying directly at Rhys. Freaking out, he put his cybernetic arm to protect his face, blinking a few times when nothing hit him, slowly opening his eyes, looking around before he nearly fell backward. The rakk was sitting on his cybernetic arm, staring at him. Unlike the rakks he had studied, this one looked more like a bird than a wild one, causing him to stare at it - instead of long, razor-sharp talons, it had feet like a bird and was happily resting on his arm, tilting its head at him, its eyes blinking as it stared at him. "I think she likes you," She said, smiling at him, reaching her right arm out to lightly scratch it's head, getting a happy murr in response.

"I've never seen so many species get along with each other, or a rakk look like this," He said, staring at the rakk as it continued to tilt its head, squawking at him suddenly, causing him to jump, making her laugh at him. "Jeez," He said, holding his left hand over his rapidly beating heart.

"Unlike the ones on the surface, these were specially crafted by me," She explained, holding her arm out to the rakk as it gladly obliged, moving onto her bare arm, chirping happily. "They haven't been subjected to the harsh conditions outside for very long and retained their natural personalities and shapes. They didn't start out like they are now, they were all friendly to people. Just, over time and repeated abuse, they turned cruel," She frowned, scratching under the rakk's beak, holding her arm out from her after a few scratches. After a few seconds, it looked between her and Rhys, before flying back towards the others. "I'm glad this has been safe after such a long time," She confessed, turning to look at Rhys. "Feel free to explore, as I said. They'll just sniff you, maybe tackle you, but they won't hurt you beyond that," She said, winking at him as he paled at the tackling comment, giggling as she walked down the rock steps that he could only assume the bullymong had built.

After a few minutes, he slowly walked down the stairs, watching as she was tackled by a few skag pups, her giggles filling the cave as they nuzzled their heads against her, all of them wanting love from her. He couldn't help himself from smiling at how happy she looked against the multiple colors of flowers, despite being attacked by love-deprived skags. It almost made him feel bad for having skag skinned boots. He was fascinated by how well preserved this was, he had only heard rumors of how Pandora used to be. He slowly stepped onto the grass, bending down to touch it with his left arm, still completely amazed as a skag pup approached him cautiously, causing him to still, staring at it closely. She was right, it was definitely different from the ones he seen in his studies. Instead of three-jawed mouths, it had a single mouth with sharp teeth that extended out from its bottom lips. The hooks on their front that most skags had were replaced with webbed feet with long claws, exactly like their back usual back feet. "Amazing," He whispered, his brown eyes staring at the pup, holding his left hand out to it. After a few sniffs, the pup slowly went up to his wrist, sniffing the mark Adelia had left before it walked away, leaving Rhys to scratch his head in confusion. After a few minutes, the skag pup came back with a rock, spitting the _very_ slobbery rock at him, barking at him, its butt wiggling in excitement. "Do you want me to throw this?" He asked, pointing to the rock as the pup ran in circles, trying to tell him yes. He couldn't help but laugh at how excited it was, picking up the slobbery rock with his left hand, making a rather disgusted face by how slobbery it actually was. "Yuck..." He mumbled, watching as the pup stared at him, yelping happily. Slowly he moved his arm back, throwing the rock off into the distance, the pup very excitedly running after the rock. 

Turning back to look at Adelia, he noticed she was squatted down next to an older skag that definitely didn't look like it was too healthy. She was smiling sadly at it, singing a soft song to it as her markings glowed a light purple, soft light coming from her as she patted its head. He was completely amazed by how soft she was being with it, but he was snapped out of his trance by the pup bringing the rock back to him, yelping happily at him. He laughed, picking up the slobbery rock again, making the same disgusted face before, tossing it again, his attention going back to Adelia who hadn't moved much at all. He was mesmerized by it (and very curious) so he slowly walked over to her, staying quiet as the skag pups surrounding Adelia and the only older one turned their heads to look at him, the older of them snarling at him, causing him to put up his hands in surrender. "Be nice," She said to the snarling skag, a huff coming from it as it moved to sit next to her, watching her as she slowly set down the body of the older skag she was singing to. Feeling something nuzzle the back of his leg, he turned his head for a moment, seeing the same pup drop the rock behind him. "It looks like you made a friend," She said, looking at him for a moment, his gaze meeting hers for a very brief second. From being closer to her, he could tell her tattoos were darker, like a typical Siren's marks now, only hers were more of a darker hue. He couldn't help but feel a smidge of pain in his heart at her sad expression, but he watched her, nonetheless, as she softly cupped the skag who had snarled at him, singing softly to it, a slight glow coming from her hands as the skag grew a bit larger, stretching itself once she removed her hands, letting out a bark as the rest of the skags began to follow it as if it were their leader. Reluctantly, the pup that was playing with him huffed, rubbing itself against his legs before taking off at the end of the pack.

"Woah," He whispered. He was so interested in getting to know more about her - to him, she practically seemed like a goddess - and to know she trusted him enough to show her this area made his heart pound in his chest. "What was that?" He asked, holding his hand out to her, smiling as she softly took it. 

"Well, I'd say that the pup you were playing with took to you," She said, laughing at his serious face. She knew that wasn't what he was talking about, but it was always fun to see him scowl at her answers. "Give and take," She finally answered, giving him a soft smile. "This alpha was approaching its end. It had hurt itself while pulling a pup, the one you were playing with, in from outside the cave. Most of them usually stay in the cave, but the pups are curious - they just grow out of it as they get older," She explained, "The skag who snarled at you was the next oldest, so using some of the energy I took from the previous alpha, I made them the next alpha. They'll go off and find a suitable mate in one of the other packs down here, mate, and one of their children will be the next alpha when their time comes."

"Why do you have to give back some of your power?" He asked, "Not trying to seem like you shouldn't, I- um," He paused, he didn't want to offend her, and honestly, seeing her markings so bright against her pale skin, he couldn't help but stare at how beautifully she was marked. They flowed around her body like delicate brush strokes.

"You're curious," She answered for him, smiling as the rakk that had landed on him earlier came back down, landing on her arm when she put it up. "I don't have to give it back, but if I don't, it would put them in a bind. I was gone for quite a while, all the originals that I had made are long gone, except this girl," She said, scratching the rakk's chin as it squawked happily. "When I was in the Vault, I couldn't just leave there and show up here; I would've put both myself and this place at risk. As you can see, they did thrive on their own, but, it used to be even more beautiful in here," She said, smiling over at him. He couldn't get over how happy she looked - she always smiled, but this smile was different from those. He knew she felt at home here, and he felt a pang of guilt for her having to go back to Helios. "When I take my power from the sick or the old, their body gets reabsorbed into the area, and in turn, it filters the area of anything that's contaminating the cave." As she finished talking, the body she had absorbed some power from began to glow a light blue color, slowly vanishing into the ground as some green grass sprouted up among the dying grass a few feet away, a few flowers popping up here and there. "See?" 

"Amazing," He whispered, kneeling down to touch the fresh flower next to him. The rakk on her arm squawked loudly at him, causing him to jump, falling over with a grunt. "Why does she keep doing that?" He asked, looking up at a giggling Adelia.

"She likes you, but she's cautious of your arm and temple port. She keeps testing you to see if you're going to hurt anyone in here," She explained as the rakk tweeted happily, flapping its large wings before taking off of Adelia's arm. Holding both of her hands out to him, she helped him up once he placed his hands in hers. "They know if I trust you, they can, but she's still wary after the last time someone came in here."

"Last time?" He asked, keeping his hands in hers, staring down at her. 

She nodded her head, letting out a sigh, "Before I went to the Vault, I came to leave some of my power with her, since she was one of the first I ever made. I was going to leave something with some of my power essence in it so she could protect the oasis I created, but someone found me. I shouldn't have come here when I knew they were hunting for me, they completely wrecked the place and killed well over half of the creatures here. The ones he didn't kill fled from the cave. Some returned after a few years from what I felt, but a lot of them had lost their way."  
"Wait, he? I thought only females could be Sirens."

"There can be males in rare instances," She explained. "If they're close to a female, the female can grant them some of their power, assuming they're strong enough to."  
"Oh," Was all he could say, blinking at this new information. "Sorry, please continue."  
She smiled up at him, he was really like a kid who liked to read locked in a library and it was adorable to her. "I managed to find her and I gave her some of my hair I blessed with some of my power, but when he came in looking for me, I ordered her to leave with the others. Everywhere she dropped a hair, I activated my phasewalk ability and teleported them elsewhere."

"I didn't know Sirens could leave their power in parts of them no longer attached," He said, intrigued even more.   
"They can't, only I can," She answered, getting a nod from him. He had a feeling that was the case. "The bullymongs want to close up the entrance again and I'm sure Jack has probably noticed you've been offline for a while. I think we should go back," She said, smiling at him.

He gripped her hands tightly, rubbing his thumbs over her knuckles. "You seem so happy here, are you sure you want to come back?"  
"Rhys..." She said, smiling as he pouted down at the ground. "If I wanted to stay here, I would've left the next day," She reassured, moving her hands out of his hands, cupping his cheeks softly.

"Addy-"  
"Shush," She whispered, bringing his lips toward hers, meeting him half-way in a passionate, brief kiss. Wrapping his arms around her waist while he kissed her back, she slid her arms around her neck as she broke their kiss, "I'm happy spending time with you, Rhysie. This just reminds me of how life used to be. It's nice to reminisce, but it's not healthy to live in the past."  
Rhys stayed quiet. He knew she was right. "I'll take that answer," He finally said, causing her to laugh, slowly moving his hands from her waist. "Let's go back home, then."

Quietly, they held hands as they made their way back to the stone stairs, the pup that was playing with him came running bark, barking happily as the rakk that landed on her swooped down, landing on Adelia's arm. "I have to go back, but I'll try to be back soon," She said to the rakk, who was tweeting angrily at her. It was clear she didn't want Adelia to leave again. 

Rhys knelt down, rubbing the pup's head lightly. "I'll be back one day, buddy. You behave yourself," He said, laughing as the pup whined, nuzzling itself against him. Suddenly, the alpha snarled from across the plain, giving Rhys a death glare. "U-um... Adelia?" He asked, quite literally about to shit his pants. The alpha skag did not look pleased he was petting the pup.   
Slowly, the alpha approached Rhys, its teeth bared. Adelia moved, stepping in front of Rhys and the pup, the rakk on her arm tugging on her arm tightly, trying to move her as the skag launched itself behind her, using Rhys as a footstool, talking the crazy psycho that had followed. Rhys, on the other hand, fell face-first into the dirt, hearing the screaming cries of the psycho as the skag ripped it apart. "I guess he followed us," Adelia mumbled, Rhys spitting out dirt as he moved to a kneeling position. The pup was walking in and out of Rhys's arms, jumping up from time to time to try and lick his face, only to fall short each time. "He wasn't trying to hurt you, he was trying to protect you," She finally said, the rakk on her arm chirping in acknowledgment, basically telling her she was right in her assumption. 

"Could've fooled me," Rhys said, wiping his dust-covered face with his shirt sleeve. He looked up at Adelia, taking her outstretched hand as the alpha skag huffed behind him, walking in front of him and her both. 

"What a mess," She said, helping him up as she looked at the bloodied mess the alpha left for her to clean up. "Let me guess, you want to clean it up?" She asked to the rakk who squawked in agreement, squawking a few more times as the other rakks flew down, swarming the body pieces.   
"Hey, uh... Thanks," Rhys said, looking at the alpha skag who just snorted and huffed, barking at the pup before it walked away, the pup rubbing against Rhys's legs once more before taking off after the alpha.

"We should go before anymore find their way in here," She said, gripping his hand lightly, smiling at his dusty face. "Plus, you need to clean your face. You look like you got smacked in the face with orange flour."  
"Yeah, yeah," He said, rolling his eyes, fighting back a smile as he followed alongside Adelia, the bullymongs rushing up in front of them, carrying a large rock to the entrance. "Can we come back here one day?" He asked, looking over at her. "I'd love to see the bullymongs up close in more than a glance."  
"Sure," She said, smiling at him. "Just don't come here alone unless you have to, they won't let you in without me unless they sense powerful distress."  
"Let's hope that never happens," He said, following alongside her as she made her way out of the tunnel, grabbing her hand with his.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Back on Helios...** _

Adelia sighed happily, flopping back on the bed with a tired groan, getting a chuckled from Rhys. "I expected that to take much longer than it did," He said, sitting next to her, kicking his boots off with a happy sigh, wiggling his toes. Although the boots did help at first, it was nice to get them off.

"I don't need much," She said, turning to look at him with a smile. "Though, that means you're probably gonna have to go back to work fulltime again since my leg will be healed soon."

"Aw, is that your way of saying you'd miss me?" He asked with a grin, laughing as her face flushed a light pink. Slowly, he laid back, rubbing his face with his hands, letting out a loud yawn, "But, I'll miss you. It's definitely been an interesting month," He admitted, moving his hands off of his face slowly, turning his face toward her. She had hidden her markings once again, but he still held the small band she left on his wrist.

"I'll miss you too, but you say it like I'm gonna go away forever," She teased, rolling her eyes.

"You might," He mumbled, looking away from her with a pout.

"Rhys..." She started. She understood where he was coming from and why he said it, but, she didn't plan on leaving him for long, especially since she had marked him earlier.

"I'm gonna get a nap before I have to go to work for a while," He defeatedly said, sitting up to pull his shirt off, leaving his jeans on as he moved to the wall-side of the bed, putting his back to her. She sighed quietly, slowly sitting up.

"Rhys, I have no intention of leaving you forever," She started, moving to lay behind him, letting her warm fingertips dance along his back, outlining his spine.

"But you plan on leaving?" He questioned, his body shivering slightly as goosebumps flooded across his skin.

"I'll have to eventually, but I'll always come back," She reassured him, gradually sliding her right arm around him, hugging him tightly, nuzzling her face lightly against the nape of his neck. "Unless you plan on traveling on Pandora with me all the time," She whispered against his skin.

He stayed quiet. He knew this would probably be the outcome before he started, he just didn't expect it to be someone he'd catch feelings for; when Jack had called him and Vasquez up to his office, he only told them that he had someone who needed to be taken care of, like a nurse. He didn't clarify it was a grown woman, what entailed in the job, or anything else - probably because he didn't know much either, judging from what Adelia had told him previously. Rhys had only agreed to it to get on Jack's good side, he didn't expect to spend every second of the day with her. Not that he was complaining, she grew on him pretty fast, especially with her snarky comments to Jack that literally nobody else had the balls to say - and now he knew why. But he did have another question that kept jumping to his thoughts. "Addy?"

"Yeah?" She asked softly, having briefly started to doze off against him.

"What are we going to do if Jack finds out we left Helios without telling him? Or if he finds out we..." He paused, his face turning a bright crimson. He had mostly forgotten about it, being overly fascinated by all the things he had seen today.

"I'll deal with it," She reassured him. "I left my mark on you for a reason. If things go from bad to worse, I'll make sure you're safe."

"But what about you?" He asked, turning to face her. "You'll make sure I'm safe, but what if you don't get away?"

"That's for me to worry about, Rhysie," She said, looking into his brown eyes. He still hadn't turned his cybernetic eye on, but quite honestly, she loved how his eye looked when it was off. It was like staring into fresh honey directly from the hive of bees. "I have a plan in case things go sour."

"And that is...?" He asked, staring into her grey eyes.

"You'll learn if it comes to that," She answered, breaking her gaze from his as she turned onto her back, covering her mouth as she yawned. "You should get some sleep or you'll be falling asleep at your desk," She teased, looking over him.

"You have no room to talk," He shot back, deciding to drop it since she didn't seem willing to comply, and if he had learned anything by being around her this past month, it was when she didn't want to talk about something, she didn't want to talk about it and would promptly change the subject every time he brought it back up. "You're yawning quite a bit, too."

"I never said I wasn't tired, but I don't have any plans for today, Nurse Rhys," She said, turning her head to face him, grinning as he blushed a bright crimson at her nickname for him, his nostrils flaring slightly.

"I believe we're past the 'Nurse' part," He mumbled, smirking as he devised a plan to fluster her back. "'Love'," He said, referring back to what he had called her while they were intimate. His smirk only grew big as her face flared even darker than his - she definitely recalled that little nickname he had given her, which meant all the images of then came flooding back to her mind. She huffed, turning her back to him.

"Goodnight, Rhys," She mumbled, holding her very red, hot face.

"C'mon, Addy. You know I didn't mean any harm by that," He teased, slowly sliding his left hand up her back and under her shirt, letting his hand slowly slide around to her stomach. She was definitely having an impact on him, and he definitely wanted her again, especially when she flared so bright for him. Scooting himself closer to her, he used his cybernetic arm to pull her hair out of the way gingerly, making sure it didn't get caught on anything before he pressed his lips softly against the nape of her neck

"Rhys..." She whispered, her goosebumps arising across her skin at the feel of his warm skin on hers. Her face had cooled off quite a bit but still retained a slight, flushed pink, a very faint sigh coming from her.

"I like it better when you wear only my shirt," He whispered into her ear, gradually sliding his hand up and under her bra, gripping her breast lightly as a quiet moan came from her.

"I thought you were tired?" She shot back in a hushed voice, tauntingly pressing her rear against his slowly growing erection in his jeans. He was, honestly, pretty happy that she hadn't slapped him away - he had half-expected her to.

"I am, but I want to get comfortable," He teased back, teasingly thrusting his hips against her, a soft whimper coming from her. He could tell she wanted him again - and he wasn't wrong, she did, but she knew they needed to wait so he could be rested for his first official day back at his job. She rolled her eyes at his words, moving his hand out from under her bra and shirt, moving to sit up. "Addy, wait," He said, his face twisting into worry - worried that he had pushed too hard.

"I thought you liked it better when I was only in your shirt?" She asked as she got up, flashing him a smile before she went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Rhys sat there, his mind trying to process what she just told him. Did she really just get up to change just for him?

After a few minutes, the door opened again, her clothes she had worn now discarded down the laundry chute, now wearing the shirt of his she wore the night before. "Did you really change just for me?" He asked, smiling sweetly up at her as she pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail.

"Maybe. I also wanted to get out my bra. Believe it or not, a few thousand years of not wearing one really rubs off on you when you actually wear one again," She joked, moving back to the bed, getting a chuckle from him. He noticed she was moving a lot better than earlier, probably because she did restore some of her powers. He wasn't fully sure how the whole healing process worked with Sirens - even more so Eridians since not many texts were made on them.

"Well, I must say, you do look better like that," He flirted, winking at her causing her cheeks to flush a bright pink.

"I'll go change back," She teased, smirking as his face fell. "I'm kidding, those leggings you picked out were comfortable, but I definitely didn't want to sleep like that," She finally admitted, laying herself down, facing him.

He smiled down at her, his left hand gently caressing her cheek, his eyes staring at her lips while his right, cybernetic arm slid under her, pulling her closer to him before wrapping around her waist loosely. "Well, what I said still stands," He whispered, bringing his lips to hers, giving her a soft, but sweet kiss. She returned his sweet kiss with one of her own, jumping slightly when he moved his cold, metal hand down to grip her ass roughly, shooting him a playful glare. "What?"

"You need to sleep," She chastised him, fighting back a grin. The fact that he couldn't keep his hands off of her oddly satisfied her.

"I will, I will," He laughed, reluctantly releasing his grip on her rear cheek, a loud yawn coming from him. She was right, he did need to sleep - he had to be at work and give Jack a summary of her health before he quit for the day (which he definitely wasn't eager to do). Closing his eyes, he pulled her closer to him, smiling as she nuzzled her face lightly against his chest like a kitten would, her right arm moving to wrap around his side. "Sleep well, Addy," He whispered sleepily.

"Sleep well, Rhysie."

* * *

_**AN: We're gonna go back in time a little bit, not by much, just to earlier in the day.** _

_**Jack's Office (6:00 am)** _

Jack had awoken early last night to a notification on his ECHO stating that Rhys Strongfork's eye had gone offline. This normally wouldn't worry him, had he not been keeping an eye on him ever since the incident with Assquez, or whatever his name was. Imagine his rage when he started sifting through the files only to find several things that alarmed him - first of all, the girl he was oddly attracted to was standing in her underwear, blushing, second of all, the same girl had Siren markings all over her body. He obviously didn't find the second one fast - he was too preoccupied being angry that Rhys got to see her first hand like that, and his raging erection (mostly because he stared at her picture for a while) sidetracked him for a while. Drumming his fingers on his desk, he stayed quiet, watching as Rhys and Adelia had made their way through Pandora. He could see the purple light against her feet, as well as her pale tattoos clearly through the eye - the only problem was, why did she hide it from him? Did she think he wouldn't find out? He ran his hand through his brown hair, groaning loudly. He detested Sirens, but she's been different to him from the beginning. Something else was off about her, he just couldn't place what; he knew Sirens were definitely more powerful after what happened with Angel and his ex-wife, but... He felt a connection to Adelia that he shouldn't have, considering his strong hate for Pandorian creatures. Why did he harbor emotions more than hate towards her? Why didn't she use her powers to protect him from the assassination attempt? Unless...   
No. She didn't strike him as the type of person to do that. But then again...

He rubbed his face aggressively, letting out a loud groan of frustration, slamming his fist onto the table. There were too many thoughts going through his head right now. He needed to relax and see how it all played out. The fact that she had taken Rhys to Pandora without either of them informing him or any other person was alarming enough. Certainly, if she had malicious intent, wouldn't she have made her act until now? She could've used her power to kill Assquez easily that day, but instead, she put herself at risk. She was either very stupid, planning something, or just not powerful enough to do anything - all of which bothered Jack. Suddenly, he heard soft words to Rhys, and then, the feed from went off.

"What the hell?" He said loudly, smacking his computer with his hand. No, no! He was dying of curiosity - he couldn't tell if he was being made a fool of or if she was just a dumb, innocent girl. Thinking back, he did remember seeing Lilith's face pale at the sight of Adelia. Was this all her plan? To force a truce? But why? Was what Lilith said the truth? No. That couldn't be right. Bandits almost always lie and deceive. Slamming his fists on the table, he stood up quickly, looking at Elpis through his tall windows, rubbing his head slowly. He had to get to the bottom of this, and soon, or he'd drive himself mad trying to figure out what was going on. 

"The code monkey is supposed to see me later today... Should I have him bring her in too?" He questioned out loud, his brows knitting together, deep in thought. "But... If I don't have her brought in, he might not listen to me, even if I threaten his life. She took up for him once, wouldn't she do it again? But maybe... I could send him out and have a _personal_ talk with her," He mused. So many thoughts but none of them giving him a definitive answer. "Maybe I could catch her in therapy today. I see her every day when she goes there, anyways. Yeah, that sounds good," He said, nodding to himself. He'd definitely confront her, without Rhys. Rhys was too big of a liability if it came to violence - he knew she'd protect him, just based on how she acted the other day and judging by how close they were now... He'd probably do the same for her.

* * *

_**AN: Back to the present time.** _

_**Rhys and Adelia's Bedroom (10:45 AM)** _

"It's still weird you don't have to go in until eleven," Adelia said, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she watched Rhys get dressed in his usual attire for work - the same attire he had worn when he met her.

"I'm not that important, plus, they go easy on me since I was given a direct order by Jack to take care of you," He said, not looking at her as he hunted for his skag-skinned boots. "By the way, waking me up with a handjob? Totally unfair," He said, fighting back a smile as he heard her giggle.

"Well, it's not my fault you slept through all fifteen of your alarms," She teased, rolling her eyes as he gave her a look that said _'Yes you are_ '. "Besides, I vaguely remember you moaning my name when you woke up. You seemed to enjoy being woke up that way."  
Rhys turned a bright crimson, clearing his throat. "Why do you have to do me like that, Addy?" He asked. He couldn't even fight back, she was right - he did enjoy it. A lot. 

"It's cute to see you turn into a tomato," She answered honestly, grinning as he shot her a playful glare.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll get you back," He promised, moving to sit on the couch. Sliding his boots over his extremely colorful socks, he wiggled his toes slightly. He still felt guilty for wearing these boots after seeing the skags Adelia had made.

"Don't feel bad," She spoke softly, seeing the look on his face. "It's not the ones I made. Those were probably ones that would've attacked and killed you."  
"That doesn't make me feel any better at all," He scoffed, rolling his eyes. She was terrible at comforting, probably one of her only flaws he could see. Looking down at his cybernetic arm as it beeped, signaling an incoming transmission, he stood up, fixing his pants legs, before walking over to her. "I'll be back later," He said, cupping her cheek with his left hand, his bi-colored gaze meeting hers. 

"I know you will," She said, gently cupping his hand with his, smiling up at him. Closing both of their eyes, they met in the middle for a sweet, passionate kiss - a tale of what was to probably come tonight. "Have a good day at work, Rhysie," She whispered as he pulled away, her grey eyes watching him.

"I'll have my ECHO if you need me," He said, smiling at her as he left the room swiftly, his arm beeping rapidly. It was most definitely his temporary boss asking where he was without him even looking - he wasn't late, but his boss was the type of person who believed if you're not ten minutes early, you're late. Reluctantly, he opened the transmission, holding his arm up as he navigated the halls. "Go for Rhys," He said, trying to play cool.

"Strongfork, where are you?!" A shorty, chubby called out, slamming his hand on what sounded like a table. "It's your first day back and you're almost late!"   
"Sir, with all due respect-"  
"I'll respect the paperwork I sign firing you!" The boss said, cutting Rhys off.

"I'm literally right around the corner, Mister Smith!" He exclaimed, turning his hand to prove his point. "I'm sorry, Sir, I had to deal with some stuff before I left-"

"I don't want to hear it. You better clock in and come solve this chaos or those cybernetic limbs of yours will sell for good money on the Pandorian black-market," And with that, Smith hung up, leaving Rhys to mock him quietly in his mind. He missed Henderson, but, Henderson had left to go to his home planet for a vacation after hearing of Hugo's death - which Rhys couldn't blame him. The man was near retirement - he just had wished he had promoted him before leaving.

Sighing, he ran his hands through his combed-back hair, opening the door to his work office, moving to clock in a few minutes before he was due to.

* * *

_**Back to Adelia...**_ _  
_ Adelia was humming quietly as the doctor pushed her to her therapy room. Not long after Rhys had left, the doctor came to collect her for her therapy, despite her protests that she didn't need it. She knew the doctor didn't play much of a part in this, but she was honestly so bored of doing the same thing day in and day out while Jack stood by idly and watched her walk using the railings or throw a ball back and forth with that cocky smirk of his. However, unlike usual, she knew Jack was probably going to be standing there with a frown. There was no doubt in her mind that he hadn't done some digging, especially when Rhys's eye went off not once, but twice, for rather long periods. She was just worried about what hat he planned to do once she told him the truth - after all, assuming that he dug into the files (which she was positive he did, he was quite nosy about what happened with his company if it directly involved him, he probably saw her markings on her, the glow on her and his feet when they walked through Pandora, and probably... _that_ night. She groaned quietly to herself, covering her flushing face with her hands.

"Are you alright, Miss Adelia?" The doctor asked, breaking her out of his thoughts. "Your face has turned quite red. Are you running a fever?"  
"Nope, just fine!" She said quickly, moving her hands from her face. The doctor arched a brow, staring at her in disbelief before he unlocked the door to the physical therapy room, pushing her in before closing it behind him. 

In front of them, stood a grinning Jack - but his grin wasn't his normal, cocky smirk. He was hiding something - and his heterochromatic eyes gave that away. They were filled with anger, his body language was stiff, showing he was on guard, watching the doctor. "Good morning, Cupcake," He said tensely, the doctor moving away from the wheelchair. "Doc, I'd like a few minutes alone with our guest."  
"But Sir-"  
"Do I have to ask twice?" He asked, dropping his grin, slowly reaching for his gun.

"No, Sir!" The doctor exclaimed, quickly leaving the room.

"Do you have to threaten everyone to get your way?" Adelia said, propping her left arm up before resting her head against her fist, staring up at his bi-colored eyes that were _very_ angrily staring down at her.

"Enough with the attitude, Princess. I want you to explain to me why I saw you with Siren markings," He said curtly, crossing his arms across his chest. He didn't want to touch her, not yet. If he could coax an explanation out of her without resorting to violence, he could definitely have fun in the punishment later.

Adelia arched her brow, crossing her broken leg over her good leg, staring up at him. "And, where did you see that, Mister Handsome?" She asked. She wanted to hear him admit he spied on them.

"Is that important?" He asked, scowling at her. "I don't have to tell you anything, but you have to answer me."  
"Or... You could answer me first, then I'll answer you," She shot back, shooting a similar glare to the one he was giving her.

He knew her stubbornness was just as bad as his own, if not even worse. He has technically held a gun in her face and she was unwavering in speaking to him, which oddly, reminded himself of, well, himself. "Fine, I looked into Rhysie's memory log from his eyes." She couldn't help but cover her mouth, laughing to herself. "What's so funny there, kiddo?" He asked, fighting back a smirk of his own. God, her laughter was contagious.

"I already knew you did, I just wanted to hear you admit it," She finally said, smiling up at him. That pissed him off as a pissed smirk grew across his lips, opening his mouth to make a remark, only to be cut off by her continuing, "I just wanted to hear you admit that you feel so protective of me you have to check up on me."  
He stood there, mouth agape. Nobody talks to him this way, he was Handsome-God-Damn-Jack, and yet, hearing her speak to him this way with zero regards for her life oddly amused him. "I answered your question, now answer mine," He said curtly, breaking himself out of his thoughts again.

She tilted her head to the side, moving her hand back down. "You already know the answer."  
"Answer it anyway."  
"Yes, I'm a Siren," She answered, her gaze meeting his. 

He stayed quiet for a few minutes, before finally, "Why didn't you tell me when I asked the first time? I don't like being lied to."  
"Did I lie though? I never told you a definitive answer," She retorted back. He clenched his fists, his teeth clenching. She was right, she didn't give him an actual answer.

"Show me your markings," He demanded, speaking through his tense jaw. She arched a brow at him. She was wearing a plain black tank top and some shorts that stopped mid-thigh, so he'd see quite a bit of them, but she was definitely surprised by his reaction. She expected a lot more throwing, cussing, and gunslinging, but she couldn't say she wasn't happy by his lack of extravagant reaction. Closing her eyes, she let out a soft breath, her markings becoming very apparent against her pale skin. "Why do you have so many? Lilith, the other Vault Hunter Siren, and Angel only had it on one side of their body."  
"I have more power than they do," She said, realizing he probably couldn't hear much of what was said through Rhys's feed. "But, unlike them, I can't charge Vault Keys," She said shortly after, knowing he'd be more than willing to try and use her for that. "And, Eridium won't make a difference on my powers, unlike modern-day Sirens."   
"Then, what connection do you have to Lilith? You don't strike me as someone who would be a blood-thirsty bandit. And, why do I feel this connection to you?" He questioned. Normally, his pride would stop him, but after mulling over everything for the past few hours, he needed answers, and he wasn't going to stop until he was satisfied. He did have a meeting with Tediore's CEO later, after all. He wanted to have a clear mind before going into something that will benefit his company.  
"I have no connection to her besides wanting to monitor the crime on Pandora. I don't agree with her Vault Hunting objectives since it doesn't really do anything but give Sirens a high of a lifetime with all the Eridium buried there. The Guardians regenerate anyways, but, I also know she feels the need to protect at least _some_ good people." Jack stayed quiet. To him, nearly everyone on Pandora was a bandit or scum of the planet, but, considering Adelia was from Pandora, he felt conflicted with his feelings toward her. "As for you, we met before I showed up in your office in Opportunity. The assassination though? Unplanned. I have no idea who that was or why they were targeting you - if they were targeting you. They could've very well been targeting me," She continued. This left him with several more questions. Rubbing his forehead with a groan.

"You're killing me, Pumpkin. Could you be any vaguer? Where did we meet before? And why would they target you and not me?"  
"Is your ego so big that you think everything revolves around you?" She asked, staring at him with an amused face. God, he wanted to slam her against the wall and show her what her smart remarks would get her, but he knew that he couldn't. Not yet. He wasn't one to touch much without permission. "We met in the Vault of the Warrior. That's why your mask is gone and why your face is back to normal, save for the microscopic scar. The scar Lilith embedded in you years ago from the Vault Key was a failsafe. If something were to happen and you were on the verge of dying, I could activate it by shoving my finger into it and using a decent amount of my powers. As for the assassination, I was the target in an uprising years ago. I'm sure the children of those people are still hungry to see my head served on a platter."

"So you put the mark on my face and left me to suffer with it?" He questioned, his blood boiling at the thought.

"Well, no. That was unexpected. I was shocked when she did it myself. I was going to leave a tiny failsafe on you when you touched the key, but nothing like she had done."  
" _You?_ How would you have left a failsafe on me when I hadn't even heard of you until apparently the day I went into the Vault?"

"I was watching and waiting for my strength to return. I still wasn't full strength when I came back to save your ass, but I couldn't wait any longer. Being in the center of the planet for years gave me visions of the future, and the future coming in about eight years is something none of us are ready for, and I will not sit idle while my planet is turned into more of a cesspool of bandits and mindless killing." His face relaxed at her last words. She felt the same as him, albeit not as extreme as him, but still. Keeping his heterochromatic gaze on her, he stayed quiet even longer, snapping out his thoughts at her soft voice. "Jack?"  
He couldn't stop himself, he was far too attracted to her. Gripping her chin, he slammed his lips down on hers, hearing a soft gasp come from her. He ignored her small hands pushing on his chest, keeping his lips against hers as his hands slid down, gripping her wrists and pulling her hands away. She couldn't lie, being manhandled did slightly arouse her, but not when she has Rhys. Feeling him release her chin, she turned her head away from his, pulling her wrists against his grip. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" She exclaimed, staring up at him with a beet-red face. Never in her life before had she had men come onto her, and now to have two coming onto her, she didn't know how to handle it - all she knew was that she wanted to talk to Rhys. 

"I have never been more attracted to a person in my life," Jack said wholeheartedly, his eyes portraying the truth behind his words. Her face turned even brighter red as she shoved her hands out of his grip, using her left hand to slap the shit out of him, leaving a rather red handprint on his face.

"I'm sorry if I gave you that impression, but I'm not interested," She hissed at him. It was a half-life - she was mildly interested in him before, and still kind of was, but she was more attached to Rhys than Jack, and, given what she and Rhys shared... She felt guilty for even having these feelings.

"Your mouth tells me no but your face says otherwise," He said matter-of-factly, chuckling lowly. "What if I disposed of your little boyfriend, then?" He asked, his face darkening as he gripped the handles of her wheelchair, pinning her close to him with no escape route.

"You wouldn't."  
"Oh, but I would," He promised. He held no feelings towards tossing a lower member of his company out in space, especially if it meant he would get what he wanted. 

"I definitely wouldn't be interested in you if you did that," She said darkly, her eyes showing new emotions he'd never seen her express to him - every time she spoke to him, it was more or less in a playful or sarcastic manner, never like this. It turned him on even more - especially that murderous glint in her eyes. He didn't think someone as gentle as her could harbor such a look.

"Well, I mean, we could always share ya, as much as I dislike sharing," He proposed, honestly shocked by his mouth moving faster than his brain. He wasn't one for sharing, but, just based on what he knew about her from his few interactions with her, she wasn't going to submit without a fight. Besides, in the end, she'd probably pick him over that code monkey anyways.

"What part of not interested don't you understand?" She shot back, making a disgusted look at him - though honestly, she knew that it was probably going to come down to this. She had a vision about both of them being by her side when she was sleeping the last night, and honestly... She wasn't sure how she felt about it. Her visions were usually true, which made it even more worrisome.

"I'll just have to try to win you over then, Cupcake," He said, smirking at the challenge. "Even if it means I have to share you with that stupid code monkey." Releasing her chair, he cupped her chin roughly, forcing her to look up at him. "I look forward to getting to know you more intimately, Kitten," He said, giving her a smile that shook her to her bones before leaving the room. She didn't like how much this escalated, or how fast he submitted to her saying no. Was this a side effect of the failsafe she left on him? And how was Rhys going to react?  
"U-um, Miss Adelia," The doctor said, clearing his throat, breaking her from her thoughts. "Are you ready?" He asked, mouthing 'are you alright' soon after, not wanting to get in trouble with Jack.

"Yes," She said, answering both of his questions with her singular answer. 

"I had a feeling you were a Siren when I saw your bloodwork," The doctor responded, motioning to her hand as if he were asking if he could touch her. She smiled, holding her arm up to him, giving him permission. "Fascinating. Truly fascinating," He whispered, examining the markings closely with his eyes. "Is your Siren powers why you bounced back so fast?" He questioned, setting her arm down.

"Yes, they are. I just fed my powers earlier today, so my leg should be healing, if not healed up completely already."

"Ah, so that's why you said therapy was pointless," He said, nodding understandingly. "I shall take an x-ray to see and I want to check the burn on your back then if that is alright?"

"That's fine," She said, smiling at the doctor. "But, I'd like to keep this between the three of us," She said, motioning to her markings, before she took a deep breath, making them disappear with ease.

"Of course, I won't tell a soul," He said, nodding his head before wheeling her off to the x-ray room.

"Well, you were right," The doctor said, about an hour later, looking at the freshly print x-rays. "Your leg is nearly fully healed. I can cut the cast off now," He said, showing her the x-rays. "I am curious about your back though," He said, motioning to her to turn around. Nodding her head, she stood up, turning her back to him, pulling her long, black hair out of his way - she was wearing an x-ray gown and her shorts, but that was it. "Remarkable, it's like you were never hurt at all," The doctor said, his hand touching where the burn was. "Does this hurt at all?"  
"No, it doesn't," She admitted. She trusted the doctor, unlike the two wild cards she had been dealt with. Plus, if things escalated, she could easily kill him, and she knew he knew that plus, Jack definitely wouldn't let the doctor live, and the doctor seemed like a man who feared for his life. 

"And your shoulder, it's in perfect condition," He said, looking at the other x-ray. "I'd love to study your blood more from time to time, with your permission, of course," He said, turning to look at the computer again, shutting down the machines.

"That sounds fine with me," She said, shrugging her shoulders. "Also, that drug you gave Jack when I was drugged up. It made me feel like I was high for a while," She said, figuring he wanted to know this information. Moving behind the curtain to change out the gown and into her clothes, she heard the doctor typing excitedly into the computer.

"Fascinating! Any other side effects?"  
"My heart had beat really fast and I almost lost control of my powers," She answered, adjusting her busty breasts into her bra cups. "It wasn't pleasant, but it did get that harsh sedative out of my system quickly."

"Remarkable," He muttered to himself. "Are you sexually active? If so, judging from how Jack has taken interest in you, you should probably get on some type of birth control. That man is insatiable," He said, quickly covering his mouth. "I apologize, please don't tell him I said that."  
"Don't worry, I won't," She responded, laughing as she opened the curtain back up. "I suppose I will be soon, but not with Jack," She said, her cheeks flushing at the thoughts of Rhys. "But, I don't think birth control is necessary, I can't get pregnant unless I'm ovulating and even then, it's maybe a 2% chance," She continued, looking at the Doctor.

He paused his typing, looking over at her. "Are you not a human Siren?"  
"I am not."  
"Fascinating," He said, adjusting his round glasses. "Then, what are you?"  
"I'm a halfling. Half-Eridian and half-human." 

"Eridian? Didn't that kind go extinct a few thousand years ago?"  
"Yes," She said, nodding her head slowly. "I'm the last one that I'm aware of."  
"So you're over three thousand years old?" He asked, his eyes widening in amazement.

"Yes. I preserved myself down in the depths of Pandora's core, using my power to keep my age in stasis while I restored my health for a few thousand years. Part of the perks, I guess."  
"So you're different than Jack's daughter, Angel? Or the Firehawk?"  
"Yes, I am. I have both of their abilities, but I also have the ability to leech life from a living being and pass on power to another without putting myself at high risk, provided I am strong enough. I can also put things in stasis - as I just explained - and I can create things, but I have to be at my full power to do that. I can also see into the future randomly, but that's not something I ever learned to control. However, despite all my powers, unlike those two, I can't charge Vault Keys. They only take human essence, not mine."

"Fascinating," The doctor said quietly, looking over the girl. He wasn't sure what Eridians looked like or what they were like, but if she was a representation of them, he'd have to judge them as a pacifist tribe. "Violence?"  
"I'm sorry?" She asked, tilting her head. 

"Was your kind into violence?" He reiterated, explaining his question further.

"Oh. No, we weren't. We were a peaceful kind who only hunted what we needed. We never killed mindlessly. Maybe out of revenge, but not for no reason," She answered. "But with our powers, it wasn't hard to fight back. We just lost our fertility as we aged. I was the last born of my kind."

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking? Why didn't you all go into stasis?"

"There was an uprising. Humans came to Pandora and some of us fell in love with them. Back then, we could pass our powers onto our mates, provided our powers were strong enough. Over time, some of the humans wanted more power and overthrew our government and started an uprising. They killed anyone who wasn't with their movement, as well as our kind. I'm the last one," She answered stiffly.

"Then, did you-?"  
"No. I wasn't interested in humans or love then. My mother passed away dangerously young after having me, so I was wary of doing something like that. My dad was a human, though. He raised me up, taught me how to use my powers and everything," She said, smiling sadly. She did miss her dad - they were extremely close. 

"Then, even if your fertility is low, I recommend a birth control of some sort. Hyperion has one - a shot - that lasts an entire year with minimal side effects. You'll still ovulate but you won't be able to get pregnant," He explained, adjusting his glasses again, shifting the subject. As curious as he was, he knew too much too soon would lead to a bad party later. "And it works on Sirens. Jack had Angel on it, despite her being the same as you - she didn't care for love."  
"You're not gonna let it go, are you?" She joked, laughing.

"Not at all," He said, smiling at her. For an older man, he was sweet.

"Fine, I'll do that," She finally said, watching as he dug through the drawers at his desk, pulling out a long syringe.   
"If you have any side effects, please let me know," He said, drawing up barely 5 CCs of the liquid in a bottle. "Seeing how a small amount of epinephrine affected you so strongly, I'm going to give you a smaller dosage. If what you said is correct and you're over three thousand years old, your body doesn't know modern-day drugs, so this should do," He explained, gripping her arm. Shoving the needle past her skin, he injected her with the medicine, slapping a smiley face bandaid over it with a chuckle. "Not even a flinch," He commented. "Now, let's get that cast off."

* * *

_**Later that night (10:00 PM)** _

_**AN: smut warning.** _

Creeping into his and Adelia's room, Rhys rubbed his tired face. He had only been at work a few hours, but after being given a mouthful by Jack for hours, followed by repeated questions of how Adelia's skin felt - because he had seen the quick picture his eye took when she was mostly naked -, he was definitely tired. He obviously didn't answer any of Jack's questions besides clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his head, however, he couldn't feel off about how Jack had acted about her. He seemed to be changing from how he used to be, only focused on getting to know more about her, and that made him wonder if perhaps they had spoken while she was in therapy earlier - after all, Adelia did say Jack was a creep that liked to watch her move. Hearing the bathroom door unlock, he snapped his gaze up to see Adelia wrapped up in a white towel that hugged every curve of her body, her breasts nearly bouncing out of it - and, on her head, a towel wrapped around her long hair.

"Rhys!" She said happily, hearing the soft hum of his eye powering down quickly. "How was work?" She asked, leaning against the doorway. He couldn't help but stare at her, taking a big gulp. He was tired when he came in, but seeing her dressed like this woke him up and really got him going. Tossing his bag of catch-up work onto the couch, he quickly walked over to her, capturing her lips with his, feeling a soft moan escape her lips against his. Sliding his arms around her waist, he slowly slid them down, feeling her body shudder from the feel of the cool metal against her skin before he picked her up with ease, breaking his lips from hers for just a moment, making sure he didn't hit her on the nightstand before he laid her down on the bed, a quiet giggle coming from her. Turning her head from his before he could take her breath away from her again, she shivered, feeling his soft lips press against her neck. "Well, I'm happy to see you, too," She whispered to him, her gaze meeting his as he smiled down at her.

"I missed you so much," He whispered back to her, peppering her lips in a few swift, gentle kisses. "It was so weird not having you next to me, mocking my boss or making snide remarks to him all day," He joked, chuckling at his own joke as she laughed with him.

"I'm flattered that you missed my smart mouth," She joked back, smiling up at him. "But, I've never met your boss, Rhysie."  
"Oh, I know, but just based on how you talk to Jack, you would've really given him hell," He said, causing her to laugh again. He was right, she definitely did like shutting down rude people. "Though... You probably would've gotten me fired."  
"Wow, such little faith. But you're probably right," She admitted, smiling as he laughed. "Rhys..."  
"Adelia," He said back, staring down at her. He barely used her real name so, when she heard him use her full name, her cheeks flushed a bright crimson, causing him to smirk down at her. He finally had something else to use against her when she poked at him for turning red easily. 

"Your boner is stabbing my leg," She finally said, smirking back at him as his own cheeks heated up a bright crimson. Damn her, she knew exactly how to fluster him, but he loved it.

"Would you rather it be stabbing elsewhere?" He flirted back, wiggling his brows at her.

"Rhys!" She exclaimed, her cheeks flaring a crimson once again, her left hand playfully swatting his chest.

"I didn't hear a no," He continued, watching as she slowly moved her hands to cover her red face. He really had her flustered - the only time she ever covered her face was when she was extremely flustered. 

She exhaled loudly, her legs twitch slightly as he slowly slid his hands down the inside of her thighs, his knuckles brushing against her delicate flower. "No," She whispered reluctantly, causing his hands to still. She immediately regretted it - the look on his face made her heart drop. She was sure he was thinking that she didn't want him anymore.

"Addy?" He asked softly, rather confused. Did she change her mind about him? Was she okay? Did he do something wrong? All these questions - and more - ran through his head, waiting for her to answer.

"First of all," She answered, tugging at his vest lightly. "You're far too dressed to be touching me so provocatively, Mister." He let out a sigh of relief, that answered at least one question of his. "Secondly, as much as I'd love to let you indulge in me, you have a whole bag of work to do. Thirdly," She paused, sighing loudly. "We have to talk about something."

"Oh God, are you pregnant?" He asked, mentally slapping himself as soon as the words left his mouth. Obviously, she wouldn't know, they just had sex last night, and by the look on her face of amusement only made him feel even more embarrassed. "I-uh, I mean, are you too sore? Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not pregnant, not that I would even know right now," She said, smiling up at him. The fact that he actually formed a sensible question after did make her happy - he was clearly worried about her. "And, yes, I am sore, but not sore enough for you to worry about."  
"Then... Did I do something wrong?" He asked, his heart pounding in his ears, scared to know the answer.

"Yes." He felt his heart sink at her answer. "You came in here and didn't even say you were home or coming in," She teased, rolling her eyes at the visible relief he had. "I didn't know if it was you or someone else coming in."  
"I'm sorry, Addy. I'll make sure to let you know it's me from now on," He said sincerely, resting his forehead lightly to hers, his brown gaze meeting her grey one.

"I'd appreciate it," She said softly, moving her hands to cup his cheeks lightly. "But, we do need to talk about..." She paused, not sure how to word it.

"...Jack?" He asked, his body tensing slightly when she nodded her head. "I agree, but, can that wait until later?" He really didn't want to kill their mood with Jack talk, especially considering she was nearly naked beneath him.

She stayed quiet, looking up at his pleading eyes, before she sighed, smiling up at him as she slid her fingers into his hair, bringing his lips to hers. As much as she would rather talk about it first, she could tell Rhys had a less than pleasant day and probably wouldn't react to everything well. At least after, they could eat and they could talk when his head was clear, and not very obviously distracted by his lower head. Feeling his hands slowly creep under her towel, she pulled her lips from his, she giggled at his pouty face, her hands moving down the back of his neck and down the front of his shoulders, stopping at his chest. "I believe I told you that you were too dressed to be touching me so provocatively, Mister Strongfork," She spoke seductively, tugging at his vest before she bit her lip, watching as his eyes grew wide - after all, she may or may not have been watching and reading various things on how to seduce men earlier (she did). 

"Oh God," He whispered, his eyes watching as she slowly released her lip from her teeth, feeling his erection practically throbbing against her inner thigh. Leaning off of her, he quickly shrugged his black, Hyperion vest off, his eyes widening again as she gripped his red tie, pulling him back down, their lips meeting in a hungry frenzy, needing to steal their breath from each other. He groaned against her lips as she released his tie, her hands moving underneath it to quickly unbutton his blue shirt. Catching her wrists with his hands, he slowly leaned back up, pressing his throbbing hard-on against her slit, earning a soft gasp from her. She stared up at him with a reddened face, her lustful eyes watching as he undid his tie with ease, shrugging his unbuttoned shirt off his arms. Biting her lip, she could've sworn she heard him let out a soft profanity, but then again, that could've been her own imagination.

He watched her chest rise and fall with her heavy breathing, the look in her eyes telling him all he needed to know as he quickly undid his belt buckle, kicking his boots off as he slid his pants down, needing to feel her lips on his again. Once he was down to just his boxers, he leaned back over her, the tent in his pants pressing against her thigh as he took her lips once again, kissing her more hungrily than before - he was determined to steal her breath from her this time. Slowly, he slid his hands under her towel, feeling it come undone fully before he slid his cold, mechanical hand up to her right breast. Her body shivered under the cool metal, her rosy bud becoming perky against the metal, a quiet moan coming from her. Sliding her hands into his hair, she gave it a gentle tug, grinning against his lips as he groaned loudly - that was definitely something she needed to remember. Feeling his left hand creep up the other side of her body, she felt the cool air hit her damp, exposed body, her towel now resting beneath and on the side of her, no longer covering her.

Breaking their kiss, both of them panted heavily, their faces red as they gazed at each other lustfully. "Rhys..." She whispered to him, wiggling her hips against his erection. She didn't want foreplay this time, she needed to feel him inside of her. But he had other plans.

"Adelia," He whispered back to her, his hands moving down to her hips, scooting her further into their bed. "Patience, Love," He continued, smirking as her face flushed crimson. He loved seeing her turn red for him, especially over the smallest things he would've never guess would turn her red. Moving his head down, he lightly peppered her neck in gentle kisses before he kissed down her body slowly, loving the sounds of her heavy breathing and soft sighs with each kiss, stopping only once he reached her collarbone. Biting down harshly on her skin, he felt her flinch, before he sucked on her skin roughly, leaving a considerable (and questionable) hickey on her pale skin - if she could mark him, he wanted to mark her.

Feeling him release her skin, she stared down at him with an arched brow. Did he really just mark her even _more?_ Of course, the hickeys on her neck were small and barely noticeable, but this was a bit much, even for him. "Was that necessary?" She asked, staring at him as he smirked up at her, his lips grazing along her skin, stopping at her right rosy bud.   
"Most definitely," He whispered seductively at her. Slowly, he slid his tongue through his lips, flicking it over her slowly hardening nipple, his smirk only growing as he heard a shuddering moan escape her lips. He was going to be the death of her, all of his teasings made her mind blank out more and more with each second that passed, but she knew that he was enjoying every minute of driving her closer to the edge. Feeling his cool, metal fingers pinch her other rosy bud, she let out a sharp, quiet whimper, biting her lip to hold in her moan as his brown eyes stared up at her, his tongue still agonizingly taunting her right nipple, her cheeks darkening again as she wiggled her his slightly. She was growing wetter by the minute and his teasing was driving her mad. 

"Rhys, please," She pleaded out, gripping his metal hand with her warm one, causing his gaze to shift up towards her flustered face. Knowing that he did still have the advantage over her, he smirked up at her, gradually moving his left hand down her body. Her body shuddered at his smirk - she knew he was up to something, and she would hate it, but enjoy it at the same time. She let out a low gasp, feeling his fingers slide along her soaking slit before his index finger broke past her entrance. She moaned loudly as her legs twitched, gripping his sides lightly with her knees, her back arching slightly while her hips moved in sync with the slow, taunting pumping of his finger.

"Patience," He repeated in a hushed whisper - he loved hearing her beg for him. It wasn't often that women did beg for him, so when he knew he could make it happen, he made it happen. Slowly, he pulled his index finger out of her, before sliding his middle finger in with it, slamming both of his fingers deep inside of her, earning a loud moan of his name from her rosy lips, her hands gripping his shoulders, nails digging into his flesh as he groaned himself. He wanted to keep teasing her, to hear her beg for more, but he couldn't. She was so wet for him, and her moans were like music to his ears. He needed to be inside of her. Not later, _now._ Slowly, he pulled his fingers out of her, a soft gasp coming from her as her chest moved up and down with each ragged breathing - she definitely was warmed up now. She gazed down at him with a lustful gaze, watching as he quickly slid out of his boxers, her tongue licking along her lips in excitement, causing him to freeze briefly, watching her tongue slowly. "Oh my God..." He mumbled, his erection twitching as he watched her. She was torturing him slowly, and, despite the torture he had given her, his punishment was _much_ worse - at least to him.

She smirked as she watched him stare at her with such a wanting gaze, taking pleasure in her revenge after he had made her beg for him. Slowly, she moved both of her hands down, groping her breasts slightly, letting out a teasing moan - as she had seen in her 'studies' earlier - while she bit her bottom lip. He stood back, watching her put on her mini-show for him, honestly wondering just what she had done while he was at work today. Gripping her wrists, he pinned them down, getting a sharp gasp from her, her eyes widening at his sudden dominance, but she definitely wasn't turned off by it. She smirked up at him and his heart dropped - he fell right into her hands. Slowly she slid her newly, uncasted leg around his waist, pulling him closer to her, his erection pressing firmly against her wet slit. "You can't just tease me and get away with it," She whispered up at him, hearing him chuckle.

"Oh really?" He whispered back, moving both of her wrists under his metallic grip, using his left hand to firmly grasp his member, rubbing his tip along her wet flower, groaning as she moved her hips against him, a soft moan coming from her. 

"Please," She pleaded out, her pride cast away once again as she tugged her wrists against his grip slightly, wanting to run her hands through his brown hair and feel his soft lips against hers. She could see his ego inflating, but she didn't mind it - not this time. He grinned down at her, positioning his tip at her entrance, feeling her body tense slightly.

"Relax, it shouldn't hurt as much this time," He reassured her, moving his lips to hers, capturing hers in a gentle, passionate kiss, smiling against her lips as she returned his kiss with one of her own, her body relaxing again from his reassuring words. Slowly, he moved his hips forward, sliding himself inside of her, letting out a low moan at the same time she let out a soft moan of her own, her hands fighting against his grip slightly again while her nails dug into her hands - he was right, it didn't hurt as much this time, but rather, had more pleasure than last time, probably because he kept her waiting, but who knows.

"R-Rhys," She gasped out as he slowly pulled himself out a bit, slamming his full length inside of her all at once. Arching her back, she let out a loud moan, her nails digging deeper into her palms - she had enjoyed being held down at first, but now she just wanted to run her hands against him.

"Fuck," He whispered out, resulting in her face turning beet red. She had hardly heard him cuss before, so hearing him do it definitely aroused her more - if that were even possible. He tightened his grip on her wrists slightly, the cool metal growing warm against her warm skin, slowly beginning to rock his hips against her, low groans coming from him while louder moans came from her, her face staying flushed a light pink. Wrapping her other leg around his waist, she brought him deeper inside of her, closing her eyes while they moaned each other's name loudly, together. 

After a few thrusts, he moved his hand off of her wrists, wanting to steady himself better so he could pump himself into her harder. Using this to her advantage, she quickly slid her left hand into his hair, clenching his brown locks roughly while her right hand's nails dug into his back, marking him with a few scratch marks, earning herself a loud moan from him as he grew harder inside of her. Biting her lip to hold in her moans, she pushed his head down to hers, surrendering her lips to his in a shared passionate, hungry kiss, her moans gradually growing louder as she squeezed him tightly with her legs, his thrusts growing more aggressive by the minute. Digging her nails deeper into his back, she tilted her head back once they broke their fevered kiss, her body shuddering as he attacked her neck with rough kisses and gentle nibbles, leaving small, barely noticeable bruises on her fair skin each time he bit down. "A-ah, Rhys," She panted out once he bit down on the front of her throat, leaving a darker mark than the rest, her body tensing as pressure began to build-up in her lower stomach, his thrusts becoming more and more pleasureful. Moving his left hand down her body, he grasped at her skin roughly, nearing his climax as he moaned against her throat, stopping his hand at her hips, stilling her as he rammed himself into her full force, shaking the bed beneath them, feeling her muscles cling around his girth, slowing his thrusts as he slowly ejaculated inside of her, pumping himself in her roughly, but slowly, riding out his orgasm, her hand in his hair now on his back, clawing at him as she latched onto him, her legs squeezing him tightly as she moaned loudly with him, climaxing with him.

Slowly, she relaxed her body as her high came to an end, letting her legs rest on either side of him, smiling as he moved his head above hers, gazing down at her with a sweet smile. "I needed this," He whispered, pressing his lips lightly against her jawline, chuckling as she giggled, slowly sliding her hands down his arms. "Thank you," He mumbled against her skin, closing his eyes, taking her lips with his in a sweet, soft kiss, slowly sliding his flaccid member out of her, a soft sigh coming from him.

"Of course," She whispered to him once they broke their kiss, smiling up at him. "I enjoyed it," She admitted sheepishly, her face flushing a bright red, matching his own red face. 

"Let's get cleaned up," He said, smiling down at her before he slid his arms under her thighs and back. "Also, I noticed your cast came off. Must've been nice to have freedom," He teased, carrying her off to the bathroom, smiling when she wrapped her arm around his neck.

"It was nice. Even nicer to wash it for the first time in a month," She joked, laughing with him.


	11. Chapter 11

_**After their shower...** _

Adelia sat next to Rhys, wearing one of her crop tops she snuck into her purchases, black booty shorts matching the crop as she stared down at all of his paperwork, not really listening to the television as it played information on Promethea's wildlife and fauna, but rather, amazed at how fast he was breezing through it all. She had showered earlier, so she only stepped in to wash off, mostly because of Rhys demanded to help her clean off 'as a gentleman should'.

"So let me get this right," He said, looking over at her, taking a brief break. "Jack decided he wants you, so he wants me to share you with him?" He asked, confused by it all. "That doesn't make any sense. Jack has never been one to share. He's always been extremely territorial from what I've seen... But... That does make sense on why he kept asking how your skin felt and stuff," He mumbled, shivering slightly at the thought. 

"That's not creepy at all," She said, making a disgusted face. "I don't know why he's insistent on it, though. I made it clear I'm not interested," She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I mean... Do we really have a choice though?" Rhys asked quietly, feeling Adelia's eyes glare into him. "Listen, I don't mean have sex with him, obviously I don't want to share you, but maybe we should just go along with it until we can figure something out?" He explained, rubbing the back of his head with his cybernetic hand, his face flushing a light pink at his words. 

"Rhys..."  
"Addy, I know you don't like it, but what else can we do?" He asked sincerely, cupping her hands softly. "I don't want to share you, especially with him, trust me."  
As he finished speaking, a notification peeped in his arm, signaling an incoming voice message. Both of them arched their brows as Rhys answered it, both of their eyes widening as Jack appeared before them, sitting at his desk. "Hey there, Champ and Cupcake," He began, his smirk showing through the hologram, "I closed a deal with Tediore and I know all their secret for their guns, ain't that friggin' great?!" He exclaimed.

"What does that have to do with us?" Adelia asked bluntly as Rhys very audibly facepalmed. 

"See, I want you two to come to the gala we'll be having to, ahem, welcome, their company into Hyperion. And I want Miss Pumpkin there to be my date," He said, grinning a shit-eating grin.  
"What about Rhys?" She asked, interrupting Rhys before he could begin. "Why have him come if you just wanted me to come?"  
"Well, I need a wingman, after all," Jack paused, his grin widening. "Plus, I know you wouldn't come without him. You'll be his date just like me, I just need you as my arm candy at various points throughout the night."  
Adelia stayed quiet, looking over at Rhys, meeting his gaze. She motioned to the hologram, showing him it was his call, and, with a heavy sigh, he broke his gaze away from her. "Fine, we'll go."

"Great, see you in a few weeks," He said, hanging up the call. Rhys groaned, rubbing his face.

"Good thing we bought matching outfits, I guess," She said, trying to lighten the mood. 

"Yeah, I guess it is," He responded, laughing as he moved his left hand up, softly tucking a few stray hairs behind her ear. "I guess I'll get to see your dance moves. I heard you left a big impression on people," He teased, smiling as she giggled, pressing her head lightly against his hand. 

"What's wrong?" She asked, looking at his slowly frowning face.

"I don't want to share you," He mumbled. She felt her heart pound in her chest as her face heated up, clearing her throat quietly.   
"What, scared I'll like him more than you?" She teased, grinning at him playfully.

"Yes," He said seriously, staring at her with a tense expression. Her grin fell as she stared at him. Cautiously, she reached her right arm out, softly cupping his cheek.

"Rhys, you've shown me nothing but kindness. You've looked out from me from the beginning, even though you were ordered to do that, you still did it with very few complaints about it; in fact, the only thing you've really complained about was me refusing to go clothes shopping at first," She said, flashing him a sincere smile.

He sighed, moving his metal hand up, softly cupping her warm hand against his cool one. "I honestly expected you to be a little kid or something," He confessed, laughing when she did. "But, I'm glad you weren't. I didn't expect to get so close to you, Addy. You've really given me a lot more confidence than I used to have."

She smiled at his words, her cheeks flushing a light pink again. "I'm glad I helped, Rhysie. Let's get through this paperwork of yours so we can go to bed, though. It's getting late and I don't want your boss fussing again," She said, pulling her hand from his face, only to stop when he pulled it back, leaning over the paperwork to give her a sweet, gentle peck on the lips.

* * *

The next few weeks sped by. Adelia and Rhys had been intimate pretty much every night those and both were fairly satisfied since they knew tonight was going to be exhausting on both of them - and the birth control the doctor gave her really upped her libido, not that Rhys complained a bit; he had a high libido as well, so it worked out for both of them. Adelia was definitely not a people person and Rhys was going to be too nervous about Jack using her as eye candy to really be able to enjoy himself. Sure, he hadn't officially asked her to be his girlfriend, but he really felt like he didn't need to. He wouldn't sleep around on her and he knew she wasn't doing it to him, especially given that she seemed to stay in the room most of the day anyway.

"Can you zip me up?" She asked, carefully moving her long, black hair out of his way, showing her back to him. 

"Sure," He responded, adjusting the yellow cufflinks on his sleeves. He was already dressed in his gray suit, the yellow vest standing out against the dark gray - the only thing he had left to do was put on his boots. Walking over to her, he slowly zipped up her dress, placing a soft kiss on the nape of her neck, chuckling when she shivered, goosebumps flooding across her skin.

"Ah, Rhysie," She whined, turning to look at him. His cheeks blushed as he stared down at her, taking in the dress and secretly patting himself on the back for what he picked. On the breasts laid a dark, see-through fabric, showing off her cleavage in the right light, while her dress was colored similar to his - a dark grey with a single, bright, Hyperion-Yellow stripe running down her left side, opposite of his tux, which had a stripe running down his right side. Her sleeves, see-through fabric, matching her cleavage. On her legs, she wore some black stockings to match her sleeves and cleavage (which he had to run and buy last minute since she was complaining about not matching). "You look so beautiful," He whispered out before he could stop his mouth, covering it quickly with his cybernetic hand, his face flushing a bright crimson.

She felt her own face flush to a bright crimson with him, smiling up at him after a few moments. "You look handsome," She complimented him back, holding her sincere smile, slowly running her hands up his chest, fixing his gray tie. "To think, just a few weeks ago you were a stuttering mess around me," She teased, tugging on his tie lightly, pulling him down to her face as he chuckled.

"That's because I didn't know how you'd react to my feelings toward you," He answered cockily, slowly wrapping his right arm around her waist, the metal cool against her skin-tight dress.

"Maybe my teasing helped," She whispered back to him, moving her lips closer to his, stopping just shy of touching his lips with hers. "Is this what you want, Rhysie?" She whispered, referring back to the first time she had teased him, moments before they actually shared their first kiss.

"Yes," He whispered back, both of them closing their eyes before they shared a passionate kiss, a soft moan coming from her as his hand slid down, firmly grasping her cheek.

"Rhys..." She warned, breaking their kiss soon after, staring up at him with reddened cheeks. "We don't have time to get all hot and bothered tonight, and I'd rather not be thinking about that while I'm being arm candy," She said the last part defeatedly sighing. 

"I know," He said, slowly moving his hand back up to her waist. "At least you'll be my arm candy, too," He joked, giving her a wink, laughing when she rolled her eyes. Hearing his ECHO beep loudly, he groaned, reluctantly releasing her. "That means it's time to go. I'll try to stay in your line of sight so you can find me, 'cause, as I said, Jack throws the biggest parties in the galaxy."  
"Yeah, I know, you've told me a lot," She said, rolling his eyes at his overbearing trait. She honestly thought it was adorable, especially when he was determined to teach her how to walk in heels, constantly chastising her when she stumbled, saying all the women were going to be gunning to abuse her, just because she was Jack's arm.

"I'm just reminding you," He mumbled, running his right hand through his hair, fixing a few strands that had fallen down.

"I know, and I appreciate it," She responded, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. "It's adorable how protective you are of me."

"I'm not that protective!" He protested, his cheeks flushing a light pink. He stared her down as she stared at him, her grey eyes gazing at him with a 'like hell you're not' look. "Okay, fine, maybe a little." His ECHO beeped loudly again, both of them sighing as they moved away from each other. Rhys moved to the couch, slipping on his skag-skinned boots while Adelia sat down on the bed, putting on her grey heels. "All ready?" He asked, fixing his pants to rest outside of his boots, standing up as he looked at her.

"Almost," She said, walking into the bathroom for a brief moment. Pulling her wavy hair back, she tied it into a neat updo, letting a few of her natural curls fall down by her face. Securing her hair with a few black bobby pins, she made sure it was in place by patting it a few times, before she walked out of the bathroom. "I'm ready now," She said, smiling at him.

"You're always so pretty," He flirted, holding his arm out to her.   
"Why, thank you, Mister Strongfork," She said, smiling at him, wrapping her arm around his as he led them out of their room and towards the gala area.

"Geez, You two get lost?" Jack asked, pushing himself off of the wall. "Had me waiting friggin' forever. Hey there, Pumpkin," He continued, snatching Adelia's other arm in his, getting a look of disgust from both Rhys and her. "C'mon, we're late," He said, rolling his heterochromatic eyes as he glared at Rhys.

"A please would be nice," She scoffed, looking at Rhys. Reluctantly, he released her arm, watching as Jack hauled her away ahead of him, rubbing his face in annoyance before he walked past the two Hyperion guards into the giant gala already underway. Moving towards the front of the crowd, but also off in the distance where he could still see Adelia, he huffed quietly, annoyed to see her hanging onto Jack's arm. Jack really did go all out decorating - the walls were a vibrant Hyperion yellow with a few dark gray stripes where the pillars connected from the wall to the ceiling. On the wall above the stairway - that led to a balcony - was the bright yellow Hyperion logo.

Jack on the other hand, though that Adelia looked absolutely ravishing, especially in that dress. He couldn't stop his eyes from shifting to her breasts every time the light hit them just right. Her tone, pale legs stood out against the dark grey of her dress which conveniently stopped just above her mid-thighs, while her dainty hands stood out against the semi-transparent fabric on her arms. He chuckled, despite her tense grip on him, her scowl amusing him. The way her hair was up made her freckles stand out against her snow-white face, her red lips shimmering under the lights, despite the fact that she wore no make-up. She was truly a natural beauty to him, and, judging from how all the other women scowled at her hanging onto his arm and some of the men ogling her, they knew she was, too. "Smile, Cupcake," He whispered to her, patting her hand with his, smirking down at her. Quite honestly, she looked like a midget compared to his height, but then again, she looked the same when she was next to Rhys - the only difference is Rhys was just an inch or two shorter than Jack.

"Bite me," She hissed at him, her scowl staying on her face as he chuckled.

"Maybe after the afterparty," He teased back, his smirk growing at her cheeks reddening.

"You're disgusting," She shot at him quickly, looking away from him as they neared the staircase. 

"Am I, though? You seem to be clinging to me quite hard, Pumpkin," He shot back, his eyebrow twitching slightly in annoyance. He loved her hotheadedness, even if it did annoy him. It was fun to see such a tiny girl get annoyed over nothing.

"I trust them a lot less than I trust you," She admitted with a scowl, knowing it was going to give him an enormous ego boost - which it did. He smirked as he heard his words, leading her up the stairs with ease.

Jack stayed quiet as they made their way up the stairs, everyone staring at them, chuckling as Adelia squirmed under all their stares. For someone with such a fiery mouth, she was definitely uneasy around crowds, and to him, that was friggin' hilarious. Once they reached the top, he cleared his throat, getting the attention of the few who weren't paying attention. Rhys, at the bottom of the stairs, kept his bi-colored eyes on Adelia, sighing softly at how uncomfortable she looked. "Welcome to my gala celebrating Hyperion's partnership with Tediore!" Jack began, taking the glasses of champagne from the waiter that walked them up the stairs for him and Adelia. Handing one to Adelia, he held his up in the air, nudging her with his elbow to follow his lead. She rolled her eyes, holding her glass up as Jack continued, "Today, we finalized the paperwork, growing Hyperion even more, and, since Tediore was so _generous_ in sharing their secrets with us, we'll be able to release new guns!" He continued, smirking as mostly everyone applauded him. From what Rhys had told her, the people who came were people Jack had been trying to partner with, had partnered with, or were obsessed with him, similar to how he, himself was prior to meeting Adelia. Jack's smirk only grew as Adelia shifted uncomfortably next to him, definitely not enjoying all eyes on her; she could quite literally feel all the jealous women burning holes into her. "I also have another announcement to make," He said. "I'd like to thank Miss Adelia here for being the reason why I could secure my deal with Tediore. Thank ya, Pumpkin," He said, winking his green eye at her, causing her to stare at him with her mouth agape, her hand clenching the glass she was holding roughly, daring to break it. He did this to her on purpose. 

Down below, Rhys audibly facepalmed, getting a few looks from the people near him, but he paid them no mind, clearing his throat soon after. He was furious Jack had done that - it was no secret Adelia hated being the center of attention, and he just made her enemy number one for the jealous Handsome Jack fangirls.

"So with that, enjoy my gala!" Jack finally concluded, bringing his champagne to his mouth downing it with ease, the lights flickered off of him and Adelia, smirking down at her as people began to go back to talk amongst themselves. "Drink up, Pumpkin," He demanded, watching as she swirled the liquid around in her glass slowly, her grey eyes burning with rage as she stared at him, half-tempted to splash it on his face, a sly smirk on her face. "Throw that on my face and I will make sure you and that code monkey are far from each other," He threatened, reading her mind as her smirk fell, her hand breaking the glass in it, champagne, glass shards, and some blood dripping down between her feet, gaining the attention of a few, nosy people.

"If you're done being a baboon, I'm leaving," She announced, turning to leave, holding her bloodied, injured hand to her chest. 

Stumbling back when he grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back. "Now, now, no need to leave so soon. We haven't even danced, Kitten" He whispered to her, smirking at the visible disgust on her face. He was having fun making her wriggle beneath him. It made the challenge more fun. "But first, go get your hand tended to. If you don't come back in ten minutes, I'll hunt you down myself."  
She rolled her eyes, walking down the stairs as Rhys met her at the bottom, his eyes wide as he took her injured hand in his cool hand, looking down at the few small pieces of glass in her hand. "Are you alright?" He asked quickly, wrapping his left arm around her, leading her away from the commotion. "He shouldn't have done that, Addy," He said, watching her face. She sighed, rubbing her head lightly with her good hand.

"I'm alright, I just need the glass pieces out so it'll heal," She whispered, already ready to go home. "I'm ready to go home already," She said, laughing awkwardly as he chuckled, sitting her down on the bench in the hallway leading to the bathrooms, taking his spot next to her.

"I know, I know," He said, sticking his tongue out slightly as he zoomed in on her wound with his cybernetic eye, using his hand to carefully pick out a few small pieces of glass. She couldn't help but smile at how focused he was, flinching slightly with each piece he pulled out. "I know it hurts, Addy," He said softly, flicking his gaze up to her for a moment before going back to picking out the glass shards, making pretty quick progress on it.

"I was half-tempted to throw the champagne in his face," She mumbled, wincing when he pulled a larger piece out of her hand, all the small cuts healing quickly once all the pieces were out. "The egomaniac needs to be taken down a notch," She huffed, crossing one leg over the other.

"I'm an egomaniac?" Jack said, Adelia shooting a glare at him while Rhys tensed. The tension between those two was always so overwhelming for him; on one hand, he wanted to take up for Adelia, but she had made him promise not to, saying she didn't want him in harm's way, while in the other, he knew if he did, Jack wouldn't hesitate to do something to him or her. "That wasn't very nice, Cupcake," He said, standing behind Rhys, watching as he pulled out the shards of glass. "Well, for what it's worth, I think you need anger management, I mean, do you know how expensive that champagne was you wasted?"  
"It hasn't been ten minutes, why are you here?" She asked curtly, wincing again as Rhys pulled the last shard of glass out of her hand, her hand healing slower on the bigger cuts, but still healing up.

"The dancing is about to begin," He said, adjusting the sleeves of his black suit. Like Rhys, he had a bright yellow vest underneath, the tux adorned with yellow accents, as well as a giant "H" sewn into the back of it. "You'll be dancing with a lot of people, so try not to kill anyone, 'kay, Pumpkin? You'll be dancing with Champ here last, but me first."  
"And if I refuse?" She said, keeping her hand against Rhys's. 

"Well, see, you don't have a choice. I'll take you one way or another because if you resist me, the guards won't hesitate to shoot you if you're seen as a threat to me."  
She stayed quiet, keeping her glare on him as she slowly pulled her hand from Rhys's, hearing him audibly sigh as well. "Fine, but if anyone gets handsy, I'm smacking them."  
"As you should," Rhys and Jack both said, Jack shooting a glare at Rhys, causing him to flinch. He overstepped and he knew it, he just prayed Jack would let him off again, only this time, Jack laughed, reaching out to pat his shoulder roughly.

"Strongfork," He paused, laughing, "God, such a stupid last name, anyway, he's got a good head on his shoulder after all," He teased, his smile playful before he released the other's shoulder, holding his arm out to her. "Now, let's go dance." 

She looked back at Rhys, getting a soft nod from him, reluctantly taking his arm. "If you get handsy, you're getting smacked too," She mumbled, looking at Rhys over her shoulder. He looked so angry - his face was twisted into a scowl and his fists were clenched tightly. He definitely didn't like this any more than she did.

* * *

  
The orchestra was playing jazz behind them as Jack and Adelia danced around the room gracefully. It was no surprise to her that Jack was one for classical ballroom dances, but what did surprise her was how well he danced. They were doing the foxtrot, her left hand placed in his while her right hand was placed loosely on his shoulder, his left arm wrapped snugly around her upper back, but not so snuggly that she couldn't move.

"I knew you could dance, but to keep up with me? Even that's impressive," He teased, his heterochromatic eyes gazing down at her as they led each other in perfect, synchronous movements. He wasn't lying when he said he was impressed, if anything, she was taking the lead more than him. He was used to dancing with others, but not to the level of her.

"You're not so bad yourself," She responded, smirking at him as he slowly twirled them both, both of them trotting gracefully along the dance floor with the rest of the dancers. "I never took you as someone who'd like to dance this much," She teased. "You seem like someone who's rather ungraceful in everything he does."  
His eyebrow twitched as he smirked down at her, twirling them not once, not twice, but three times in quick succession, both of them moving around with the crowd in harmony, definitely being the center of attention. Her fiery mouth only made making her giggle when he twirled them much more enjoyable, her smile lighting up her face as her grey eyes twinkled in delight. She knew she shouldn't be enjoying this, but she was having so much fun dancing with someone - it had been far too long since she danced like this. "For someone with such a smart response, you sure do seem to be enjoying yourself, Pumpkin," He whispered softly to her, his smirk growing as the music picked up, meaning their steps also picked up, but never the less, they danced gracefully with one another, neither one missing a beat. To the untrained eye, they were in perfect sync with either other, but in fact, she was definitely leading him here. He could've led himself, but he decided to see if she could manage on her own - and she was, probably better than what he would've done himself.

"For the record, I would've had fun with anyone, Mister Handsome," She taunted back, as the music started to slow. "But, really, the Foxtrot? I would've taken you for someone to do something more sensual, like the Tango or Waltz."  
"Oh, I had full intentions of doing the Tango, but I decided your dress wasn't big enough, and I'd like to not give myself and your code monkey a stroke by having you throw your leg up and reveal your goods to everyone," He responded, tipping her slightly before the music ended, laughing as she sneered at him. "Besides, the Waltz will be coming next, since you'll be dancing with someone then get passed onto the kid. I'm not gonna torment you that much since you were a good dance partner, Pumpkin."  
"Well, thanks, I guess," She mumbled, watching as he went over to the only female board member on Tediore's crew, holding his hand out to her as the orchestra began to play once again.

Soon after, a young man with dark brown hair approached her, an ECHO device implanted in his right eye, similar to Rhys - only his was gold instead of blue. His suit was a black with an orange vest, green accents playing off of it, which, in her opinion, was rather hideous, but who was she to judge. His tie matched his colors, leading to a giant, white "M" on the tie. "Hello, there. I'm Katagawa Junior from Maliwan. Would you mind giving me this dance?" He asked, a dark smirk on his face as he held his hand out to her. He gave her the creeps, but she knew Jack wouldn't let her leave until she danced with one other person for 'appearances'.

"Sure," She said, giving him a flat smile, placing her hand in his. She did have to give it to Jack, he did pick two dances that would work with her dress length well, even though longer would've been better for this occasion. As the music began to pick up, she rested her left hand on his right shoulder, her other hand lightly clenching his as he led them (although clumsily) to the dance floor. "Do you even know how to dance?"

"Not the Waltz, I'm more of a dirty dancer," He admitted, laughing as she rolled her eyes. Disgusting.

"I'll lead, just relax and follow my movements, then," She instructed, twirling them into the crowd with ease, making sure her steps were precise and easy to follow. She was straight up not having a good time. The way he kept ogling her was pissing her off slowly, and she knew he was going to say something to piss her off even further - and she had suppressed years of rage that she'd like to not come out.

"So, I'll cut right to the chase," He began, following her movements, though clumsy, he did manage to keep up. She heard Jack chuckle beside her, making sure to stay close - she just assumed he probably didn't trust Katagawa as far as he could throw him for him to be so close to her. "I'm the last in line to inherit my father's company, but if you're willing to become my bride, I can provide you richer beyond your wildest dreams, and, you'd only have to show up once a year and have a kid or two!" He exclaimed, his smirk grew into a twisted smile. 

_Yep. Definitely a creep_. She thought to herself, rolling her eyes as he nearly stepped on her foot. "I'm not interested," She said flatly, seeing Rhys dancing (very uncomfortably) with another woman. It was obvious he didn't want to do this anymore than she did. Rhys glared at Katagawa, watching as he slid his hand further down Adelia's back, moving closer to her rear. She visibly stiffened as Jack hummed quietly behind her, his heterochromatic eyes watching in amusement.

"Then, I can just take you by force. Shouldn't be too hard, you're really small. Plus, you'd be a great little toy for me," He whispered into her ear, along with some other ineligible stuff that Jack couldn't make out, his eyes on Jack as she shuddered, biting back a gag. And then, before she could fully react, she felt his hand on her ass, giving it a firm squeeze.

She stopped dancing, raring her right arm back before smashing him directly between the eyes, loud cracks echoing in the room as he fell backward to the ground in a daze, the music stopping abruptly as Rhys released his dancing partner, as did Jack, but, unlike Rhys, Jack stood his ground, watching her, holding his arm out to Rhys to stop him.

"Let's see how this plays out," He said, smirking in delight. Adelia had never struck either of them as a violent person, and based on what the doctor relaid to Jack, she wasn't.

"Ugh, you bitch!" Katagawa cried out, leaning on his elbows, only to fall back to the ground when she placed her heel aggressively against his balls, withering in pain.

"How about you tell everyone what your little plan is for me?" She hissed out, her entire demeanor changed. Honestly, this scared Rhys to know she could be like this, but on the other hand, given her past... Katagawa must've said something to really trigger a fight or flight response because even when Jack teased her, she never got this angry. She pressed harder against the man's delicate manhood, tears coming to his eyes as he cried out, his hand moving to push on her leg, but she was definitely stronger than him - much to his distress.

"Alright, Kiddos, enough," Jack said quickly, breaking it up. He and Rhys both grabbed one of Adelia's arms, each of them pulling her off of her. Despite her small stature, she was quite strong. This absolutely surprised Jack, he expected her to be more of a weakling, more or less only having a high pain tolerance.

"Addy," Rhys whispered to her, as she glared daggers at Katagawa, her body tense, despite Rhys's soft voice. "C'mon, he's not worth it," He whispered to her sweetly, rubbing her arm softly.

Sighing, she unclenched her fists, turning to look at Jack in disgust, "You'd be wise to finish him off," She mumbled to Jack before Rhys tugged her away.

"Listen here, you little shit," Jack said, picking up Katagawa by the scruff of his shirt. "That woman isn't someone you should mess with. You're lucky I stopped her because she _definitely_ would've kept going. I mean, did you see that murderous glint in her eyes?! So sexy. Anyway. Hell, you're lucky I don't blow your friggin' brains out where you are, but seeing as this is such a black-tie event, I'll give you the smallest shred of mercy," He paused, releasing his grip on the younger males shirt. "Get him the fuck out of here," Jack ordered to the two Hyperion guards, rubbing his temple. He wanted to kill Katagawa for this, but he knew that'd launch a war. He knew she'd probably get groped or something, but not threatened to be made into a sex toy, and he was dying to know what he whispered to her - that was what bothered him the most. The look of fear and disgust in her face told him it probably wasn't anything good. The guards picked up Katagawa, hauling him out despite his protests, the crowd staring at him in disgust, Jack seeing Rhys guiding her back and away from prying eyes.

"Well, it wouldn't be a Hyperion Gala without some sort of violence," Jack called out, smoothing his hair back. Everyone was amazed her let Katagawa off with mercy - which was usually unlike him - but even more so, they were impressed by the petite girl's strength. That alone struck fear into all the women that were feeling jealousy towards her - it was clear why Jack had picked her if she's like that all the time. "Don't let that stop you from enjoying yourself!" He continued, waving to the orchestra to begin playing again, walking back to where Rhys and Adelia had gone.

Meanwhile, Rhys had escorted her back towards the bathrooms, knowing that nobody would really come back here, given the commotion happening outside. "Are you alright? What did he say to you?" He asked softly, cupping her cheek with his left hand, turning her face towards his, wiping the few stray tears away from her face softly with his thumb. He had never seen her cry, even when she was nearly violated by Hugo, or when her leg was broken, or hell, even when she had to take the life of one of her creations. Not once did she cry. 

"It's nothing," She mumbled, sniffling quietly as she wiped her other cheek with her hand, softly pressing her face lightly against his hand, giving him a slight smile. "I'll be fine," She reassured him. She didn't like feeling weak like this, but Katagawa would pay for his threats, she had already seen that in her visions before she came out.

"Adelia," Rhys said sternly, but softly, expressing his worry for her.

"I'm fine, Rhys," She reassured again, her grey, bloodshot eyes shifting to a pissed off Jack making his way down towards them. Rhys noticed her eyes shifting, turning to look at Jack with a scowl.

"Yeah, yeah, I deserve that much," Jack said, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair. The gala continued on as if nothing had happened, despite the three of them being away from the crowd. "Katagawa is gone and I won't ask you to stay after that, though I am curious what he friggin' said to you, Pumpkin. You really knocked the shit out of him, I was impressed," He commented, shrugging his shoulders at their glares. "If it makes you feel any better, he's gonna need at least three surgeries to fix that nose of his," He said, smirking. Adelia couldn't help but give a small smile - that did make her a little happy, especially after what he whispered in his ear.

"Can we all go to your office?" Adelia said, looking up at Jack, feeling Rhys's eyes bore into her. He knew Katagawa must've said something serious for her to ask an audience with just the two of them.

"Sure, Pumpkin. I usually leave after the dancing, anyways," Jack responded, shrugging his shoulders as he walked to the back of the hallway, pressing in a block on the wall. Suddenly, a light blue light flowed over his hand, revealing a doorway. "Easy getaway without there being a racket. Follow me," He instructed, for once not bothering to be snide with them. Rhys was shocked, but stood up with Adelia, keeping his arm around her waist as they followed behind Jack, his cool, metal hand providing comfort to her slightly swollen one. She had definitely come close to breaking a few of her fingers, but hadn't, thankfully. The swelling and soreness would go away by tomorrow morning, as long as she didn't put much more of a strain on it. They all stayed quiet as the lights lit up the further they walked, the door closing behind them not long after Adelia and Rhys passed through it. After a few minutes, they came to another wall that opened as Jack reached it, revealing his office.

"And you complained about us being late when you had a secret passageway," Rhys mumbled under his breath, getting a surprised look from Jack.

Jack laughed, slapping Rhys roughly on the back. "Look who grew a set of balls! I was wondering if you could speak in anything more than friggin' stutter." Once he finished talking, he snatched Rhys away from Adelia, messing up Rhys's hair that took him _quite literally_ two hours to do.

"Is now _really_ the time?" Adelia asked annoyed, rolling her eyes at Jack's attitude. At least he was trying to play nice with Rhys - she had to give him credit where credit was due. Jack rolled his eyes as Rhys cleared his throat, fixing his hair, trying not to look so upset about it, but he clearly was, and that was a bit adorable to Adelia, despite the information she was about to inform Jack of.

"What did you call us in here for?"  
"Let's sit, I'd like to know we have cover for when I tell you the news," She said, moving between him and Rhys to sit in one of the cushy chairs in front of Jack's desk, crossing one leg over the other. Rhys walked behind her, taking the seat next to her, fidgeting slightly as Jack moved behind his desk, propping his feet up on his desk, staring at her with an arched brow.

"Well, we're sitting. Spill the friggin' beans, Kitten. I'm dying to know what's so secretive."  
"Maliwan knows I'm a Siren and they know I saved you from the Vault," She stated, staring at Jack as his cocky smirk fell, his heterochromatic eyes staring at her in disbelief.

"There's no way-"

"They had equipment made similar to Zer0's. They had an invisible spy in the Vault to make sure you died and stayed dead."  
Rhys stayed quiet, taking in this information for a moment. "How did you find this out? He wasn't whispering to you long enough for you to," Rhys finally asked, staring at Adelia.

"Yeah, Pumpkin. How do you know they know? Plus all this other information. I'm Handsome God Damn Jack and I don't even recall you saving me, I just know you did since you told me you did."

Adelia sighed in exasperation, rubbing her forehead with her good hand. "I used my powers to absorb a little energy off of him. Not enough to harm him, just enough to see what he knew," She explained, looking at Rhys's worried face - he was worried since she said she could easily lose control. "He couldn't even tell, and he probably won't ever be able to tell. It was very minuscule and I did it when the lights shined over us, so nobody could tell. When he leaned in my hear, he whispered he knew I was a Siren and planned to sell me off to the market, but the rest of the visions, they came after I punched him." _And gave him his life essence back,_ she thought quietly to herself, but Jack didn't need to know that she could do that.  
"Convenient. I wish I hadn't stopped you," Jack said through clenched teeth. He didn't believe Adelia, but at the same time, he had no reason to not believe her. With as close as she and Rhys were, he knew deep down that she would never do anything to put him in harm's way, and, given that she claims to have saved him, his ego told him she would do the same for him. "Fuckin' Katagawas. They always try to stir up bullshit with Hyperion. I should've friggin' killed him," He said, switching between 'fuck' and 'friggin'', like he didn't know which one to say.

"It's okay," She said, leaning back in her chair, drumming her fingers against her thigh lightly, getting a curious glance from Rhys and Jack as a sly smirk grew over her face. "He'll die a painful death without us interfering. I saw that before I left the Vault."

"But," Jack piped in, pulling his feet off his desk, leaning forward. "We could also give him a painful death sooner than later," He said, smirking. That wasn't a bad thought, but she wasn't sure how that would affect the timeline she had seen. 

"I'm not sure if that's wise," She said, after mulling over her thoughts, seeing Jack's scowl of disappointment. With the light Elpis behind him and the fluorescent lights above him, she did have to admit, he did live up to the Handsome part of his name, especially with those heterochromatic eyes.

"What exactly did you see in your vision of the future?" Rhys finally asked, looking at her as Jack shifted his gaze to her as well.

"Yeah, Pumpkin. Tell us."

She rolled her eyes, "Remember, that in my vision, you were dead," She said, pointing to Jack. "So I don't want you to threaten Rhys with what I'm about to tell you."  
Jack shifted his eyes to Rhys, glaring at him. "... Fine," He finally said, shifting his gaze back to Adelia. He didn't like how that sounded already, but there wasn't much he could do about it. 

"Well, you died, and the Vault Key was actually a map to all the Vaults," She started, leaning back, seeing Jack's look of surprise. "That's why I called you there, but you went out and assumed I wanted you to control the Warrior."  
"To be fair, Cupcake, you were super vague in your vision," He said, chuckling lowly as she scoffed, rolling her eyes. He still found it hard to believe she had given him visions to go to the Vault of the Warrior, but she hadn't given him a reason to doubt her - yet.

_**AN: TFTBL + Borderlands 3 Spoilers** _

"To be fair, as much as I dislike the bandits ruining my planet, there's a time and place," She said flatly, seeing Jack's eyes twinkle in delight. It always aroused him when she spoke of people on Pandora that way. 

"Continue?" Rhys said, seeing _that_ look in Jack's eye as he stared at Adelia - the same look he had given Rhys when he was asking all sorts of intimate questions about her. 

"Right, yes," She said, pushing a few stray hairs behind her ear. "There's a pair of Sirens coming to the galaxy in a few years, and, they'll damn near destroy Elpis, Promethea, Eden-6, Pandora, and probably more. All planets that have Vaults. These Sirens will have the ability to leech life off of someone for their life essence, including Sirens. Each time they leech a Siren, they gain that Siren's powers. Lilith will be rendered useless if she's not careful -"  
"Which she is and deserves to have her power drained," Jack cut in, his face twisting to disgust. He hated Lilith, she was one of the main ones to take his Angel away from him.

"- Which means that not only is Pandora at risk, the entire galaxy will be. Maliwan will grow stronger with the twin Siren's help, but it will eventually fall once Katagawa tries to interfere with Atlas -"

"Atlas? I own that company, how will it-"  
"Would you stop interrupting her?" Rhys finally snapped, glaring at Jack, getting a glare in return, causing him to shrink under his glare. This is how he died.

"Rhys will take ownership of that company," She explained, pointing to where the missing deed would be in his trophy case. "When I brought you here first, I made sure to hide it someplace safe in case things took a turn for the worse," She watched Jack's body stiffen. He was furious, and rightly so, nobody steals from Handsome God Damn Jack. "Listen, it was either you lose the deed to Atlas or you lose Helios. It was really your choice."  
"Lose Helios?" Rhys asked softly after she paused, giving a glare in response to Jack's. 

"Right, since Jack was dead, someone else assumed power and you went to Pandora to buy a Vault key - albeit fake - and you found Jack in an AI that you programmed into your cybernetics. Since you're both still here and the timeline has changed, I doubt the AI exists yet - Nakayama should still be alive, as well, since the Vault Hunters go after him once you died... Assuming he hasn't fallen down a cliff again."  
Jack busted out with hard laughter, "The idiot fell down a cliff to die?! What a friggin' moron," He said, laughing as Rhys glared at Jack, fighting back a laugh of his own - he found it pretty funny too. "C'mon, kiddo, are you telling me that isn't the slightest bit funny?" 

Rhys couldn't help himself, laughing along with Jack as Adelia rolled her eyes, a small smile on her face. "Continuing. You tried to force a metal skeleton on Rhys so he ripped his arm off, and his eye implant out, and Helios fell. It was mostly your fault," She said, pointing to Jack as he stopped laughing slowly, rolling his eyes while Rhys visibly cringed at the thought of mutilating himself like that. His arm was connected to his nerves, not to mention all the wires inside of his head from his eye and port, so ripping them out would definitely be painful.

"Anyways, before your AI decided to go on a power trip, Rhys pocketed the Atlas deed and fled to Pandora as Helios fell. With that, he rebuilt Atlas with me showing him snippets of the future, the same way I had done to you, and all was smooth sailing - for about seven years, then the Siren twins came to Pandora and started a cult with the bandits."

"Disgusting," Jack said, making the most disgusted face he could muster.

"It was," She agreed, Rhys feeling kind of left out. He didn't really know much about the bandits of Pandora since he wasn't from there or actively gone there besides the one time with Adelia. "And that's why I came out of the Vault sooner than I needed to. The war will be long and take too many innocent lives. The bandits alone will singlehandedly run the planet, even Lilith and the Crimson Raiders will flee. I don't want that to happen, and the person who took over Hyperion ran it into the ground," She said, wiggling her foot slightly. The heels were annoying her at this point - she never wore shoes before and now they were just annoying her, but she couldn't just take them off. Not until she got into their room. Jack, on the other hand, scowled at the thought of his hard work being tossed into the garbage like nothing. "I don't want my planet to be nearly destroyed," She said flatly, her grey gaze staying on Jack's heterochromatic one. It bothered him how she called it her planet, but if she was really as old as the doctor said she was, it was technically _hers_ , despite him monetarily owning most of it. "They plan to suck the life force out of the Guardians to find the Vault on Elpis, but that only leads to a larger scale war. They won't be able to handle the power of the Guardians - they're nothing more than humans. One or two? Sure, they could handle it, but three or more? They can't. Just like if someone touches unrefined Eridium long enough, it harms them."

"What do they get out of draining the Guardians? Like, what's the endgame?" Rhys piped up finally, getting a glance from Jack. Jack was also wondering that, but he also didn't really care. Since he was still alive, he could probably singlehandedly prevent the catastrophe coming.

"They want to rule the universe," She said with a scoff, rolling her eyes as she shifted her legs, the heels really getting on her nerves. Resting her head against her left fist, her arm propped up on the arm of the chair, she watched Jack's reaction, seeing the vein bulge from his forehead significantly in anger. 

"Then, what can we do to stop that from happening?" He finally said through clenched teeth, drumming his fingers impatiently on his desk. These Siren twins she was talking about sounded like a threat to him and his vast empire.

"Well, I'm not quite sure," She said, looking over at Rhys. "I think rebuilding Atlas would be a good start. Maybe we can start the war between Atlas and Maliwan before they get involved. There would be a lot less innocent casualties, and, it gets a big source of their firepower out of the way."  
"But what if they threaten me or Jack instead?" Rhys piped in, getting a glare from Jack. "No offense, Sir, but if a pair of Sirens can kill you in the blink of an eye like she's talking about, we're no match for them."

"That would be the tricky part," She admitted, nodding her head slightly. "While you, Jack, are powerful, assuming they get to Lilith or Maya any way we go about it, you won't be a match for them, nor will Rhys. They'll have at least three Siren powers at their disposal, and I can protect one of you, but not both, especially if you're in different places." 

"I'm Handsome God Damn Jack, I can defend myself!" Jack finally said, growling a bit as he slammed his fist on the table.

"Need I remind you that I saved you from certain death?!" She asked, slamming her hand back on the table. 

"Addy, Jack," Rhys said, having jumped nearly out of his skin both times their hands slammed on the table. They both definitely had short-fused tempers. "Addy's only looking out for us, Jack. It has nothing to do with your ego or your power. Clearly, she doesn't want you to get hurt either."

Jack stayed quiet, rubbing his face lightly. He knew the code monkey was right. Ever since she's come into the picture, his ego had been deflating little by little and his thinking was more logical than before. Just _what_ was she doing to him? Normally, he would've killed Katagawa without a second thought for what he did, but he didn't. Why?

"Rhys is right. If I wanted you to get injured or die, I would've left you in the Vault and came out later," She said in agreeance with Rhys, leaning back against her chair with a sigh, smiling as Rhys leaned over, lightly patting her knee. 

"It's late though. We should talk about this more after we all get level heads," Rhys said, looking at Adelia who nodded in agreement. She was ready to get out these heels more than anything. Jack, however, stayed quiet, seemingly not even hearing Rhys as he dove into his thoughts. She did say the mark was a failsafe - maybe he was going back to how he used to be? 

"Jack?" She asked, breaking him out of his thoughts, his heterochromatic eyes glancing up at her.

"Yeah, Pumpkin?"  
"We're going to head back to our room. It's late and I really want to get these heels off," She said, her grey eyes watching him in concern. "Are you alright?"

He cracked a smirk, leaning back in his chair, "Aw, is Kitten worried about little ole me?" He asked teasingly, getting an eye roll from Rhys and a scoff from her. "I'm fine, but I would absolutely friggin' _love_ it if you spent the night with me. Y'know, for security measures or whatever would be a good excuse."  
Rhys stared at him in disgust while Adelia stayed quiet. _She wasn't seriously considering his offer, was she?_ He thought to himself, shifting his bi-colored gaze to her. She was, in fact, debating on it - but only because she didn't trust Jack not to do anything stupid to Katagawa. By now, he had probably realized that her failsafe was mildly restoring his sanity so he wouldn't pop off and compromise the alliance, but that could easily be changed. After a few minutes, she looked at Rhys before looking at Jack. "Alright," She said, causing both of their mouths to fall agape. "And in separate beds."  
"Well, that's no fun," Jack responded, pouting playfully. Despite his pout, he was oddly happy that she had agreed on staying with him.

"And Rhys can come with me," She added, his pout falling into a scowl while Rhys's face turned into a smirk. 

"Anyone else you want to invite to my house?" He asked through clench teeth, staring at her coldly.

"Mm... Maybe that cute barista down in the cafe," She teased, laughing as both Rhys and Jack scowled at her. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I don't even go there," She said soon after, smiling at Rhys. "I only say that because you have to earn my trust, Jack. This is the second time I've been non-consensually fondled under your watch, not to mention what happened in therapy last month." Rhys stared at her in amazement. If she was a murderer, she'd be just as bad as Jack with her plans, which, oddly, turned him on even more - and it turned Jack on, too, much to Rhys's displeasure. He still didn't like this, but the fact that she said only with him staying with them did make it a little better."If you're going to 'share' me, you're going to have to learn to get along with each other like that," She clarified soon after, breaking Rhys out of his thoughts, watching Jack's face twist into a mixture of disgust and delight. He had noticed that every time she brought up being shared around Jack, he would smile, and honestly, that did infuriate him, but as he and Adelia had continually discussed, there was nothing they could do about it but go along with Jack's idea - at least until he could break away fully from Jack.

Jack shifted his gaze over to Rhys before shifting it back to Adelia. He really didn't like the idea of Rhys tagging along, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had learned that Adelia was as stubborn as a mule and threatening her only made it worse. "Fine. I'll agree to it this time," He finally said. He didn't want to agree to her terms, but if he was going to win her over, he had to compromise here and there. Besides, he liked a challenge from time to time.

"Alright, then," Rhys said, standing up. "We'll go change our clothes and meet you back here."  
"Don't bother," Jack said, standing up with them. "I'll just send a loader bot to get you both your itty bitty pajamas," He explained, smirking as both of their faces turned white.

"It better not trash the room," Adelia said, shooting a glare to Jack, a dark laugh coming from him. "Jack," She said, squinting her eyes as Jack walked off, not answering her. She and Rhys just stared at each other with mildly worried expressions. They weren't hiding anything, but they definitely didn't want to go home to a messy room.  
"Follow me to the fast travel station and we'll go to my house," He said, flashing her a dark smirk, turning to punch in the command to the Loader bot, sending it off, leaving the two of them behind as he walked out of his office.

"Why did you agree?" Rhys said once Jack was out of earshot, watching as Adelia started to walk.

"I don't want him to kill Katagawa," She said, looking at him over her shoulder, holding her left hand out to him. "And, the only way we'll know for sure is if we're there. I don't want to start a war this early."  
Rhys stayed quiet, staring at her. She did have a point, staring a war immediately after the incident that happened tonight was a recipe for disaster. Jack could easily get equipped for it, but it'd definitely put a lot of innocent people at risk. Sighing loudly, he took her hand in his, walking beside her to meet up with Jack.

* * *

_**At Jack's house...** _

Adelia shivered - she definitely preferred her Phasewalking over a fast travel station as she rematerialized in front of a rather large, one-story house. She could tell by the gravity that they were still on Helios somewhere, which only made her wonder how large Helios really was. She thought most of it was just to boost his ego, not actually anything beyond the main hub. "Well, don't just stand there staring, Kiddos. Come on in," Jack said cockily, staring at Rhys and Adelia looking around the house in amazement. 

Rhys snapped out of his trance first, he was more surprised it was on Helios than the fact that Jack had a well-kept place - he had figured he'd have a place on Elpis or Pandora since he spent most of his time running around there. "Addy?" He asked, shaking her shoulder lightly.

"Huh? Oh," She mumbled, her cheeks turning a light pink as she broke herself from her trance. "Sorry," She mumbled as Rhys followed behind Jack, leading her inside. Jack couldn't help but smirk at her red cheeks. Clearly, he had impressed her - at least in his mind he did.

As soon as they entered the house, the ground vibrated as the Loader bot dropped in from flight. "Here is what you requested," He said, holding out a bag of clothes, walking stiffly to Jack. Once Jack took it, the bot said, "Awaiting further instructions."  
"Go back to your station," Jack commanded, and with that, it powered up its thrusters and went off flying again. "Here's your clothes, Cupcake," He said, winking at Adelia as he dropped the bag in Rhys's cybernetic hand. Adelia and Rhys both stayed quiet after Jack announced their clothes had arrived, both of their eyes looking around the room in amazement. The walls were all an off-white grey, the molding was a bright, Hyperion yellow. There was a large fishtank protruding from the wall connecting from the living room and kitchen. There was a large, dark grey, cloth couch facing _at least_ a 70-inch television, a mahogany coffee table in front of it. "There's a bathroom down the hall, just open the doors until you find it," He said, holding back a smirk as Adelia's eyes twinkled in curiosity.

Rhys wrapped his arm around Adelia's waist, snapping her out of her trance. "Addy, do you want to shower first?" He asked her softly, his bi-colored eyes shifting to Jack's scowling face, and he couldn't help but smirk, knowing he did that. 

Adelia rolled her eyes at the two of them, they were acting like little boys to see who could make the other more jealous, and, although it was cute, she was tired and her feet were aching. "I'll shower first," She said, taking the bag from him, walking down the hall quietly, leaving Jack and Rhys in awkward silence.

"So, uh... Where am I gonna be sleeping?" Rhys asked, tucking his hands in the pocket of his dress pants, staring at Jack uneasily.

"You'll be sleeping right friggin' there, Champ," Jack shot back, rolling his eyes. "Didja really think I'd let you sleep with her in my own friggin' house? If I can't, you certainly can't." 

Rhys scowled, shooting a glare at Jack. "Are you that jealous of me?"  
"No, no, Kiddo. Jack doesn't get jealous," He shot back immediately, slamming the door to his fridge, taking a long swing of his beer. He had champagne at the gala, but he just wanted to relax at this point, and he knew wine would make him gropey. 

"Could've fooled me," He mumbled under his breath, earning himself a harsh glare from Jack.

"You're so friggin' lucky she fuckin' likes you, Champ," Jack said, opening a door next to the kitchen, tossing him a pillow and blanket, which Rhys caught less-than-gracefully, practically dropping the pillow once he caught the blanket.

Rhys couldn't help but flush in embarrassment as Jack laughed at his clumsiness. "You do know she has nightmares, don't you?" Rhys blurted out, causing Jack to stop laughing abruptly, staring at Rhys. "Ever since Hugo."

"Who's fault is that?" He asked, placing blame on Rhys. It was honestly Rhys's fault in his eyes. He left her alone while she was under his watch.

"It's not mine," Rhys said, glaring at Jack. "I tried to get her to come to pick up the food with me, she didn't want to, and I'm sure even _you_ have realized how stubborn she is."

Jack stayed quiet. The code monkey did have a point, Adelia was extremely stubborn, even by his standards. Maybe that's what turned him on so much. "I'll sleep with her then," He finally said, smirking as Rhys's face twisted into rage.

"Did you not hear her in your office? She doesn't trust you," He said quickly, not raising his voice out of fear of what Jack would do. Jack stayed quiet again. He was honestly growing annoyed by Rhys's newfound courage, but, he did have to (painfully) admit he was right. "Plus, what are you going to do if she punches you?" He continued, keeping his eyes on the other.

"Obviously, I wouldn't hit her back, I'm not a friggin' monster," He said loudly, drinking the rest of his beer, sighing loudly, resting his head in his left hand. "Fine, you can sleep with her, only because I don't want to friggin' hear you complain about it later."  
"My only issue is I have work in the morning," Rhys said, biting back his smile, proud that he had won the argument. "When I get up, she's usually awake, but given how eventful tonight was, and I'll have to leave earlier than usual..." He trailed off, keeping his eyes on Jack. He figured he did at least owe Jack a little bit of a win, he did openly agree to her terms, _and he was his boss._

Jack lifted his head up slowly, meeting Rhys's brown gaze with his heterochromatic one, a sly smirk on his face. Maybe this code monkey wasn't so unreasonable after all. "I'll watch her, Champ," He said, holding his smirk as he and Rhys both turned their heads at the sound of the bathroom door opening. Jack nearly fell off the counter at what she was wearing, but, to be fair, the Loader bot picked out the clothes, she didn't. 

"I feel like your Loader bot is being your wingman," Rhys whispered to Jack, not taking his eyes off of Adelia.

"Hell yeah," Jack whispered back, watching her with the same expression as Rhys. Adelia, on the other hand, wasn't even paying attention to them, she was more focused on pulling her wet hair up into her usual buns. To her, she didn't mind the outfit. It was meant to be pajamas anyways, she just would've rathered one of Rhys's shirts instead of the black, sheer tank top. Her breasts were blocked in with regular fabric, but the rest was sheer, revealing her black boy shorts that clung to her rear perfectly, definitely showing it off. The few hickeys Rhys had loved to leave on her were definitely visible, which angered Jack but also oddly aroused him. She was marked quite a bit, which made him think maybe she liked it - this was a good thing, he did have a tendency to mark his partner, too. The last girlfriend he had always made him stop if he got too excited and marked her.

Rhys instantly felt regret for basically telling Jack to watch her while she slept, but he knew she was a big girl and could handle herself. He just hated the idea of sharing. He wanted her to be just his. He just didn't have the balls big enough to ask her that, even though he probably should, given their intimate life, plus, they already agreed that Jack would be involved, so even if he did, there was nothing he could really do about it. "It feels good to be out those heels," She finally said, snapping both of them out of their staring trance. Her freckles stood out against her pale skin, the black bringing out the soft freckles on her shoulders even more. She tilted her head to the side, a few stray hairs falling to the tilt. "Are you two alright? I half-expected to come out to a bloodbath in here," She teased, earning a chuckle from Jack while Rhys blushed a bright crimson, scratching the back of his head. 

"Just fine, Pumpkin," Jack said, moving back to the fridge to get another beer, popping it open. 

"I-I'm gonna uh... Go shower," Rhys said softly, hearing Jack chuckle again, but he didn't care. He had bigger problems to tend to, like the problem growing in his pants. He brushed past Adelia, quickly making his way to the bathroom, thankful that she had left their bag in there for him. 

Jack stayed quiet, taking a sip of his beer as he leaned against his bar, his blue and green gaze watching as she stared down the hallway for a moment before shrugging slightly. She walked over to the stool across from him, sitting on it, staying quiet as she looked around the kitchen. He had a bar coming out of the wall separating the kitchen and living room, counters on either side of the refrigerator that rested in the middle of the wall. A gas stove on each side of the cabinets, because, apparently, he needed two stoves. She shifted her grey gaze back to him, finding his gaze watching her closely as he quietly sipped his beer. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't curious what he was thinking. "Something on your mind?" She finally asked, keeping her gaze on his.

"Just thinking," He said, setting his beer down on the bar as a smirk grew on his face. "Loader bot did a friggin' nice job picking out your clothes," He teased finally, chuckling as her face heated up, snapping her face away from him in a huff. "Relax, Cupcake, I'm just teasin' ya."  
She stayed quiet, shifting her gaze back to him, catching his smirk before she sighed, propping her arm up on the bar before placing her chin in her hand, staring back at him. "Why did you want me to stay tonight?" She asked.

He liked a woman who was direct. "Because I wanted to," He responded, sipping his beer again.

"But _why_?" She asked again.

"Do I have to have a reason to want a sexy woman to stay in my house?" He asked back, tossing the now-empty bottle into the garbage with his other one. She rolled her eyes, her cheeks dusting a light pink at his flattery. She knew he was just trying to make her blush. "Look, Kitten. You're not friggin' stupid, so don't play that card," He continued, watching her. "You know I would've gone after that shitbag Katagawa if I were left alone." She sighed, turning off of the stool, walking back to the living room, taking a seat on the couch. She knew he was right, but she was too tired to mess with him. "That was rude, Pumpkin," He said, moving to the couch, the lights in the kitchen turning off once he left that area. He sat down on the couch next to her, but not too close - he did listen when Rhys warned him that she was jumpy around people she didn't know well, and, he wasn't a complete asshole. Just half of one.

"The stool wasn't comfortable in my shorts," She responded, staring at the giant television on the wall, crossing one leg over the other, not daring to make eye contact with him.

"Yeah, they are pretty uncomfortable," He said in agreeance, chuckling when she laughed. He knew she was tired, he could see it in her face, but he wasn't going to pressure her to go bed - he was fairly certain she was waiting on Rhys, assuming Rhys was telling the truth about the nightmares. Staying quiet, he pressed a button on the arm of the couch, turning the television on to some random channel. He wasn't going to watch it, but he figured she'd want to.

"I watched this movie the other day," She commented a few minutes later, laughing at one of the funny scenes. "Never took you for a man for romantic comedy movies."

"I don't watch the movies that much," He said, looking down at his ECHO, scrolling through some emails he had missed before the gala. "I just put it on for background noise, mostly." He wasn't lying, he hadn't watched movies since Angel was a little girl. He just never cared to get back into them after she killed his wife.

"This big television and you barely use it," She responded, rolling her eyes slightly, letting out a soft yawn as she covered her mouth. 

Both of them stayed quiet, Jack on his ECHO while she was quietly watching the movie, slowly starting to doze off, from what he had seen from the corner of his eye. He wanted her to fall asleep, mostly for the reason that Rhys would be out of the shower soon and he'd see her sleeping with him and get jealous. Chuckling quietly to himself, he tensed when he felt her head softly hit his shoulder. He lowered his ECHO, turning his head to look at her fully, not able to stop himself as his eyes peeked down her shirt for a moment. He quickly looked away, mentally slapping himself - he was Handsome Jack, he had the power to control himself. He let his eyes fall on her face, smiling as he stared down at her - she looked so peaceful, and honestly, she reminded him of happier times. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, before reaching out to softly rub her wet hair, feeling her stir beneath his hand as Rhys came out the bathroom, his eyes locking on Jack and Adelia.

Slowly she moved off of Jack, rubbing her eyes sleepily, "Sorry, I'm really tired," She mumbled, not really awake to understand who she fell asleep on. Rhys continued to stay quiet, making his way down the hall, Adelia's head still bopping up and down as she struggled to stay awake.

"Which room are we sleeping in?" Rhys asked softly to Jack, bending down as he shook her lightly, getting a soft groan from her in response. "C'mon, I'll carry you to bed," He whispered to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, lifting her up as she wrapped her arms around his neck - to Jack, this was weirdly cute, but to Rhys, this was a normal thing for them. She always had trouble falling asleep at first after Hugo, so they often watched movies until she dozed off, then he'd carry her to bed. Moving his cybernetic arm under her thighs, he held her up with ease - she really wasn't that heavy, especially since he had a pretty long workout of doing this for her, and since he just got out the shower, the metal wasn't cold, so it didn't disturb her that much.

"End of the hall to the right," Jack said, flipping the television off. "You off to bed too, Kiddo?" He asked, watching as Adelia nuzzled her head into the crook of Rhys's neck, humming happily, like a cat - but honestly, it made him angry. He wanted her to be doing that to him.

"Yes and no," Rhys responded softly. "I have work to catch up on first. As long as I'm in the bed with her, she sleeps fine," He explained, starting to make his way down the hall.

"Wake me up before you leave in the morning," He called out, getting a thumbs up from Rhys, before he opened the correct door, closing it behind them.

"Fuck," He mumbled, resting his head in his hands. He was getting attached a lot sooner than he wanted to - she just reminded him so much of a life he used to have before everything went to shit. Not only that, he wanted to make Rhys jealous, but instead, he made himself jealous.


	12. Chapter 12

_**The next morning... (About 5:45 am)**_

Rhys would be lying if he said he wasn't grumpy. Not only had he slept in a bed on a different level of comfort entirely, but he also couldn't sleep well. Adelia's nightmares kept waking him up all throughout the night, and a good reason for her nightmares were definitely Katagawa. He knew it was him because she kept saying his name in her sleep, shoving against him, and even given him a black eye in her sleep - much to his displeasure and to Jack's humor.

He groaned, rubbing his very sore face, shuffling around in his pajamas. "You look like you've been run over by a train, Kiddo," Jack said, sipping on his coffee. He already did a good deal of laughing when Rhys knocked on his door, and Adelia was still asleep, so he didn't want to wake her up. Not yet, anyway. "At least she didn't punch your eye with the ECHO transmitter in it," He continued, snickering a bit as Rhys glared at him.

"She's stronger than she looks," He mumbled, packing his and Adelia's bag back up. Jack laughed at him for a good forty-five minutes at least, making him a bit behind his schedule - and he knew his boss was going to call him soon. Right on cue, his arm beeped, Jack arching a brow at him as he ignored it.

"Not going to answer that?" He asked, sipping on his coffee cup again, leaning against the bar, his gaze on the smaller male.

"It's too early in the morning, I'm tired, my face is throbbing, and I don't feel like being told I'm going to be fired," He said annoyedly, rubbing the left side of his face with his cool, metal hand. The coldness gave him a bit of relief - he couldn't really be mad at Adelia, she was so sorry when he finally woke her up from that nightmare. She even cried about it and asked if he wanted her to heal him - but he didn't; he didn't want her using her powers and getting weak again.

"Can't be that bad, Kiddo," Jack said, snorting as Rhys plopped down on the stool across from Jack with a groan. They had been talking for a while now, and Jack had come to realize that Rhys wasn't _that_ bad. He reminded him of himself when he was younger. "Just tell them I had you tied up in a friggin' meeting."  
Rhys stared at Jack with his mouth open, letting out a sarcastic laugh. "He doesn't care if I got ran over by a Loader bot, I can promise he won't care you had me 'tied up'," He said, using finger quotes around the last words. 

That pissed Jack off. If Handsome Jack had someone tied up, then he had them tied up. He clenched his jaw tightly, hearing his arm beep again. "Answer it," He commanded, getting a look from Rhys. 

After a few moments of a staredown, Rhys backed down - they were doing pretty good and he knew they could both be as stubborn as Adelia, and right now, he just wasn't in the mood to argue. Sighing, he held his hand out, revealing the chubby man from before. "Strongfork," He said, ready for a second asshole to be ripped into him, hearing Jack spit his coffee back into his cup, making him roll his eyes.

"Strongfork, where the fuck are you?!" The man said, pounding his fist on the table.

"I'm held up with Handsome Jack, Sir," Rhys said, as Jack had told him to.

"You're in your pajamas and you expect me to believe that?" He shot back, rubbing his temples. "I don't care who you're with, you know damn fucking well to be on time! You had a whole month for a vacation! There's no excuse!"  
Jack watched from afar as Rhys sighed in exasperation, rubbing his forehead slowly. Clearly, this was normal for Rhys. "Sir, I told you and even gave you a letter that I had to do something _for_ Jack. It wasn't a vacation," He argued back, biting his tongue on so many more things he wanted to say. 

"Well, Jack's not here, now is he?!" The man screamed out. Jack felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance - this man was going to end up waking Adelia, and he wasn't ready for that. Rhys had just got her back to sleep and it pained him to see how hard she struggled to fall asleep, especially when she was so fatigued. Rhys threw up his left hand, looking over at Jack as if he were saying 'Do you see this bullshit?'

"And that's where you're wrong," Jack said, walking behind Rhys, placing his hand on his shoulder. "Rhysie here has been working with me since last night."  
"Jack," The man said, his face falling slack. He fucked up big time, and he knew it. "R-right, I'm sorry, Strongfork, just come in when you can."

"Ah-ah, hold it, Cupcake," He said as the man reached for the end call button. "You're fired, meet me in my office after your shift."  
Rhys stayed quiet, secretly jumping for joy in his mind as the man hung up the call swiftly. Rhys was pretty sure Jack was going to kill him, but it wasn't his business - he did kind of deserve it, he treated everyone like shit except his female workers, which he was fairly certain fell under sexual harassment. "Thank you," He finally said, looking at Jack as he made his way back over to his coffee mug, setting it in the sink.

"Eh, he was gonna get friggin' fired anyways. Too many complaints and threats of lawsuits," Jack said, rubbing his face tiredly. He was ready to crawl back into bed, but he knew he had to watch Adelia once Rhys left. "You'd better get going to your job. He can't give you any more bullshit anyway. If he does, just punch him," He said, shrugging, turning back to face Rhys. "You have a department to run, after all."

"Wait- you mean I'm being promoted?" He asked excitedly, his eyes twinkling. _Finally,_ he thought to himself, _everything wasn't for nothing after all._

"Yeah, Champ. Don't make me change my mind, just go," He said, rubbing his face again, a slight stubble on his face, annoying him. "You were highly recommended by Henderson, and I trust him. He's been around since the beginning," He explained, yawning soon after. Seeing how tired Rhys was honestly made him tired, but, he also spent most of the night wide awake, staring at the ceiling. He could easily hear her crying from her nightmares and it bothered him greatly - just what happened to her before Hugo to make her be like this? He knew Assquez had stressed her out, but she seemed to have handled it well; there had to be something else.  
"Thank you, Jack," Rhys said, rubbing the back of his head, his cheeks flushing a light pink. Had he not met Adelia, this would've been something he could only dream about happening. "I'll get going then. You remember what I told you to do if she starts freaking out, right?"  
"Yeah, yeah. Just wake her up," He said, chuckling at Rhys's glare. "Hold her and comfort her. If I can't calm her down, wake her up fully. I know, you gave me the lecture like three friggin' times," Rhys huffed quietly, he didn't like the thought of Jack being alone with her, much less comforting her, but he didn't have much of a choice. It was much earlier than his normal workday since he had to take off early last night for the gala.

"Listen, they're worse than before right now," _And if she gives you a black eye, I'll die of laughter,_ He thought to himself, moving off of the stool. "I'll see you if you come in later, then," He said, picking up their bag. He figured Adelia would come straight home after, so he just left the extra shirt the Loader bot packed for her. 

Jack stayed quiet as he watched Rhys leave, letting out a loud sigh, rubbing his face again. He really was like a mini him, just less violent. It really didn't surprise him that Rhys would be running Atlas if he had died - he would've done a damn good job at it. Scratching his bare, hairy chest, he made his way to the guest room, poking his head in to see Adelia cuddling Rhys's pillow. He had told him that she would probably be content with the pillow for now, but he wasn't sure for how long. She knew he was leaving - Jack had watched him wake her up and give her a kiss before he started packing their stuff. She had tried to insist on going home, but Rhys told her no - and to Jack, that amazed him. She listened to Rhys a lot more than she did for him, but then again, that could've just been because she was tired. He couldn't stop his eyes as they trailed up her body slowly, her toned left leg was draped over the blanket while her arms gripped the pillow tightly. Her chest was rising and falling in slow, steady breaths, and her face was scrunched up slightly, probably having another nightmare again. Moving to the bed, he sat down just below the pillow, being mindful of her leg, before he reached over, tucking a few strands of hair that had fallen lose behind her ear. "Just what happened to you?" He whispered softly, frowning himself. She reminded him so much of his wife it hurt - the fiery attitude covering a sweet personality, falling asleep when she watched movies, enjoying being carried when she was sleepy and definitely clingy. She clung to Rhys like he was her lifeline when they slept. He sighed, running his hand through his messy hair. He hadn't bothered fixing it since he planned to fall back to sleep once Rhys left, but his mind was roaming. He stared down at her, his calloused index and middle fingers grazing along her skin, tracing along her cheekbone, his body stiffening as her eyes fluttered slightly, peeking up at him with a sleepy face.

"Is it time to get up?" She mumbled sleepily, covering his hand with hers lightly.

"No, Pumpkin. Go back to sleep," He responded, smiling down at her. Her sleepy voice was so cute - and he couldn't believe he thought it was cute. He was Handsome God Damn Jack, he wasn't supposed to find things 'cute' or be hung up on trivial things, yet here he was.

She blinked a couple of times, moving the pillow back where it should've been, next to hers. She was awake enough to know she was cuddling a pillow. She knew Rhys had woke her up and told her he had to get ready for work and gave her a kiss, but that's all she remembered. He couldn't help but chuckle as she patted the pillow lightly with her eyes closed, she was definitely more asleep than anything and he wondered if she even realized who was sitting on the bed with her. "Okay," She mumbled out finally, moving her left hand up to lightly pat his, keeping her hand place softly against his as she started to fall asleep again, earning a chuckle from him again. She definitely didn't like to sleep alone, he could see that now that she clung to his hand lightly. Letting out a soft sigh, he laid down next to her, staying on his back. He knew she preferred to cuddle in both of his arms - that was what the code monkey had told him after all - but he didn't want to do that. Not yet. Not when he didn't know if she even knew who it was.

He turned his head to look at her again, meeting her tired, grey gaze, his breath stopping for a brief moment. She looked breathtaking, even when she was just waking up, especially in this position. "Somethin' wrong there, Cupcake?" He asked, his heterochromatic eyes boring into hers.

"Nothing," She mumbled, blinking slowly. "Just had a flashback," She continued in an even softer voice, her eyes staying shut as Jack's heart fell slightly. He may be an asshole, but he could tell when someone had been hurt severely in the past, and she had honestly shown him nothing but kindness - despite her fiery mouth. She wasn't like most of the scum on Pandora, she was pure - at least to him. Her hand was soft against his calloused, rough one, her face just as soft, and her smell... The smell of lavender, even when he didn't have anything smelling like that. It was calming, even for him. Feeling her stare on him again, he snapped himself out of his thoughts, meeting her gaze once again.

"I promised to look after you and you're looking after me," She said sleepily, patting his hand lightly again. Did she promise that? He couldn't remember. "You probably don't even remember," she whispered as if she had read his thoughts.

He smirked, moving his hand away from hers. "Go to sleep, Kitten," He said to her, patting his chest lightly. To his surprise, she happily obliged, resting her head against his hairy chest, her leg resting across his while her arm slid around his torso, holding onto him loosely, her smell flooding his senses. God, he loved how she smelled, and now, he knew why Rhys didn't mind sleeping with her, despite her unintentional abuse. Something about the way she held him was warm - welcoming, even - and he felt truly relaxed with her against him. He knew why Rhys didn't mind holding her to his chest if this is how he felt just from being held by her loosely like this, but his mind couldn't help but wonder if this was because of the Eridian in her. There were so little texts about them, he couldn't tell if it was how he felt, or how she felt.

"Stop thinking so hard and relax," She whispered, hearing his heart beating erratically in his chest. He let out a sigh, rubbing his face with his free hand again, closing his eyes as he slowed his thoughts. She was right, he was tired and he needed to relax, or he'd never get back to sleep, but it was just so hard to clear his thoughts. He felt her relax against him, a soft, breath hitting against his chest hair as her breathing slowed back down - she was asleep, but for how long? Letting out a deep sigh, he did his best to clear his mind, eventually drifting off into a light sleep.

After an hour or so, he woke up to her clinging to him as if her life depended on it, he nails digging into his side slightly. He groaned softly, as much as he enjoyed that feeling, this wasn't the time or the place, her soft whimpers reminded him of that much. "Pumpkin," He said sleepily, his voice a bit hoarse. He gripped her shoulder, shaking her lightly, not even flinching when her eyes flew open and she smacked him in the face, definitely busting his lip. He was fully aware she might have done that, Rhys told him she probably would. She stared at Jack in fear, her eyes were glowing a light purple - she wasn't fully awake and he knew it, which only made his heart hurt more. Something must've seriously traumatized her years ago for her to be like this. He licked his blood up, sitting up slowly. He was secretly grateful he had sneaked in on them, watching Rhys comfort her one time - the time she was screaming. He was worried about her, and even though Rhys didn't seem like he'd hurt her, he couldn't help but be worried after her scream. "Cupcake," He said again, reaching his hand out to her, his jaw tensing as she shrunk away from his hand, covering her head as if she were protecting herself. He wasn't wrong about being traumatized in the past and he knew it - but right now, he needed to calm her down before she hurt herself more. Something was different this time; when he checked on them earlier, her eyes weren't glowing like they are now, and that, oddly enough, frightened him slightly, mostly because a memory popped back into his head, showing her glowing eyes as she approached him, her touch was gentle and warm then, but nothing else came to him from that memory.

Moving quickly, he wrapped his arms around her tightly, holding her close to him, despite her pushing on his chest. "Adelia," He whispered softly, squeezing her lightly. He hadn't been this gentle with someone in years, it felt odd to him. He felt her tense against his chest before she wrapped her arms around him, her hands gripping his back lightly as she quietly sobbed against him. She didn't say any words, and neither did he - they didn't need to. Adelia was awake, and she knew it wasn't Rhys, but she really just needed to be held. The vision she just had... It terrified her. "It's alright," He whispered to her, his voice smooth as he moved his right hand up, softly stroking her head, leaning himself back to look at her. She refused to meet his gaze, not until he cupped her cheeks, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. 

"Jack," She said through a choked-up voice, her mind running a thousand miles a minute. She had busted his lip and he was bleeding and she gave Rhys a black eye earlier, she felt horrible. She felt her heart pound in her chest as he reached out, brushing her hair out of her face. "I'm sorry," She whispered, breaking her grey gaze from his.

He tensed at her words, he had completely forgotten about his lip. It wasn't the first time he had it busted and it probably wouldn't be the last, especially by her, though next time, he hoped it would be under better circumstances. "The code monkey wasn't kidding, you're friggin' strong," He teased, chuckling as he released his grip from her, wiping the blood off with the back of his hand. She visibly relaxed from his words, making him smile slightly to himself. "What were you dreaming about?" He asked, his heterochromatic gaze boring into her.

"I wasn't dreaming," She mumbled, rubbing her sleepy eyes with the back of her hand slightly. "I had a vision," She mumbled, flicking her gaze back to him.

"And?" She stayed quiet, looking at him with a worried expression. She didn't want to tell him, but she knew she had to.

"I only saw a bit of it, I don't know the full incident," She said. It wasn't a full lie, he had snapped her out of it before she finished it. "All I know is someone abducted me and... I couldn't use my powers to defend myself. They didn't know I was a Siren and there were a lot of innocent people. They yanked my hair and hit me, saying they'd find a buyer for me soon," She mumbled, seeing Jack's face turn into a hard scowl. He was furious. "I didn't get a timeline," She said, stopping him before he asked his next question. She knew him well enough to know that he was probably going to ask when it was happening.

"Then, you'll just have to stay here to make sure it doesn't happen," He declared, rubbing his face slowly. Of course. The Pandorian trade was no joke, especially when it came to girls who looked like her. He shut them down every time he found one, but they always came back like flies to a dead body. 

"Jack..." She started, rubbing her face. She was still tired, but she didn't think she could sleep again. Not after that. "I couldn't do that," She said, looking at him with tired eyes. "As nice as that offer sounds, I'd much rather be-"  
"This is non-negotiable, Pumpkin," He said, cutting her off. He knew she didn't like this and Rhys definitely wasn't. The three of them were going to have to be living together, much to Jack's displeasure. He knew she wouldn't agree without Rhys, though. "I'll tell your code monkey he'll be here too. Nobody can get in here without me, so you'll be safe."

She sighed. She wasn't going to win this fight, no matter how much she argued. "What about when I have to go to Pandora?" She asked, looking at him, propping her elbow on her knees, looking at him as she rested her head on her hand. "I'm going to have to go down there at least once a week."  
"Then I'll go with you," He said, staring at her.

"No offense, Jack, but I don't trust you to go where I'll be going, plus, I have to check up on Lilith from time to time too, to make sure the truce is still standing." Jack frowned. He didn't like the idea of her being around the Crimson Bandits. "I can fend for myself," She continued, rolling her eyes at his frown. Jack wouldn't play nice with Lilith unless she forced him to, and even then, it'd be iffy. "Rhys will come with me, just like before."  
"Rhys couldn't hurt a fly," Jack responded quickly, rubbing his face with an annoyed sigh. She really was as stubborn as he was. 

"We did just fine last time we went to Pandora," She said, reminding him, earning herself an eye roll.

"But what if you run into danger and can't use your powers?" He asked seriously. She stayed quiet. He had a point. A psycho made it into the cave with the two of them last time, who knows if there would be more bandits around that area. 

She sighed, rubbing her tired face. "Fine, you can come with us, but you have to stay out of wherever I tell you," She finally said. She was too tired to argue. She hadn't slept well, and that vision on top of her lack of sleep only made her more exhausted, but she knew she probably couldn't sleep anymore if she tried.

Jack grinned, the small cut on his lip busting open again, dripping down his chin as he stared at her. "I can agree to that, but if I feel it's too dangerous, I'm coming in anyway."

"Not if I tell you not to," She said, her eyes lowering from his gaze to his lips. She felt so bad for having hurt Rhys earlier, and now Jack, and apparently, that was clear on her face.

"What? Wanna kiss it better?" He teased, chuckling darkly as her cheeks flared a light pink, his blue and green gaze staying locked on her as she turned her gaze off of him.

"I think you'd enjoy that too much," She shot back, flickering her gaze to him for just a moment before staring off at the wall again. She wasn't lying - he would enjoy it. A lot. He always remembered how warm her lips felt when he kissed her that day in therapy, and even though she didn't kiss him back, he longed to feel her soft lips against his again. 

"Maybe I would," He responded, smirking when her cheeks flushed a darker red. He loved to fluster her and see her turn red from his words, even if it was from anger. 

She huffed. She'd show him. She turned, moving her right hand to cup his cheek, his eyebrow arching as he watched her curiously. Slowly, she moved herself to her knees, moving her face closer to his, keeping her eyes locked on his, biting back a smirk as he tensed. Was she going to kiss him this time? Oh, how he longed for her to, but he knew deep down he shouldn't get his hopes up. He felt her warm breath against his lips as she stopped moving, just a few hairs from her lips touching his, smirking up at him. He knew his cheeks were flushed just the slightest pink, mostly because his mind was turning straight to dirty thoughts. "And here I thought Mister Handsome couldn't blush," She whispered at him, his body stiffening more as he snapped out his dirty thoughts. He smirked at her, moving his hand to the back of her hair, gripping it softly, his smirk growing as her breath hitched in her throat. This was definitely no longer going according to her plan.

"And here I thought Miss Adelia didn't have the guts to be so ballsy," He whispered back. He was half-lying, he knew she had some of the biggest balls he's ever seen - lying to his face, catching an attitude with him all the time, and now this - but he'd never admit it. "Maybe this worked on Rhysie, but it won't work on me, Kitten," He said, his gaze boring down into hers, taking in the sight of her red face and slightly open mouth. God, he wanted to kiss her so badly, but he knew he couldn't. Not yet.

She closed her mouth, taking a quiet gulp before she smirked up at him, rubbing her finger over the cut on his lip. "Maybe I just needed a better view," She responded to him, her fiery attitude getting him all roused up, her markings appearing as a soft, purple glow came from her hand, his entire body growing warm as he felt the dull, barely noticeable pain in his lip disappearing. After a few moments, the glow went away, as did her markings as an exhausted look passed over her face, her body falling forward, completely limp - it had been a long time since she used her healing powers, and it honestly exhausted her. She needed to go restore her powers again soon, she could feel it. She still wasn't full strength. 

"-Kin," Jack said, his face twisted into a worried one, staring down at her resting against his chest. He shook her shoulder lightly, getting a soft groan from her in response. Was this why Rhys refused to let her heal him? 

"Sleepy..." She mumbled, keeping her eyes shut. She was tired. Very tired. That definitely took a lot of her energy, and seeing as she hadn't slept well, she was extremely exhausted. 

Hearing her words, Jack let out a loud sigh. She scared him. He must've called her four times before he finally got a response. Slowly, he laid her back on the bed - what started as innocent teasing definitely took a turn for the worst, and he didn't like it. _Maybe this is why she kept it a secret_ , He thought to himself, his eyes staring down at her, watching as her eyes twitched slightly, her breathing growing deep as she fell into a deep sleep. Unfortunately, the first thought that came to his mind was to tell Rhys. He didn't want to, but if Rhys went home and found her not there, it'd probably ruin any alliance they had formed this morning.

* * *

"She did what?!" Rhys called out through the holocall. "I thought you said you'd watch her!" He exclaimed, the people working next to him peeking over to see, just shy of the hologram.

"Look, Champ. I didn't know she was going to do that or _that_ she could friggin' do that. I never got the damn explanation like you did," Jack hissed back, pacing in his living room. 

"How is she doing then?" Rhys said, quieting his voice, looking around him as he edged into a quiet room. He was more worried about her than Jack - mostly because he had a point. They never did fully explain her powers to him, and that was more Rhys's fault than anything. He still didn't understand all of them. "Was there any blood this time?"  
" _This time?!_ " Jack exclaimed angrily. "She's done this before?!"

"Not that in particular," Rhys responded, looking around to make sure nobody was creeping around to spy. "When she Phaselocked me on Pandora, she had a small nose bleed that resolved itself quickly. I've never seen her pass out from using her powers, though. But answer me, how is she?"

"I don't know, Rhysie! She just friggin' passed out on me. I haven't checked on her again," He said, running his hand through his messy hair.

"Well, go check on her!" Jack let out a loud groan. He didn't want to, she looked off when he left the room, and he really didn't want to see her like that again. "Jack, you _have_ to check on her."

"I'm Handsome God Damn Jack, I don't _have_ to do anything!" He shot back. He was angry. Had he known she was going to do that, he would've stopped her. Reluctantly, he made his way to the bedroom, opening the door slowly.

"Then I'm coming back there," Rhys said abruptly, making his way back to his area, looking for his bag. He moved Jack to his eye so nobody else would see or hear him.

"I think you should," Jack finally said slowly, trying not to freak out, but his body felt rigid. There was blood dripping out of her nose and she hadn't moved since he left her well over thirty minutes ago. She was pale and taking shallow breaths. Jack hung up his ECHO, knowing that Rhys was well on his way.

"Jack? Jack! Dammit, he hung up on me," He muttered to himself, practically running to the nearest fast travel station. Since he was technically his own boss now, he could come and go as he pleased; all his coworkers could email him as needed.

Looking around, he made sure nobody was there as he shielded the station's keypad with his bag on one side and his body on the other, punching in the code quickly before he dissolved, traveling to Jack's residence.

Jack had his arms around Adelia's limp body, holding her so her head tilted back, his right hand pressing against her nose lightly, trying to stop the blood. He had noticed that her markings were visible again, but they were pale, similar to how they had looked in the snapshot from Rhys's eye. "Took ya long enough, Rhysie," Jack said, looking at him over his shoulder. He hadn't wanted to risk moving her, she felt so fragile in his arms.

"It's not my fault I can't teleport," Rhys said through his heavy breaths, earning himself an eye roll from Jack. He set his bag down, walking around to see her, stopping in his tracks. He had never seen her like this - he's seen her weak, but never _this_ weak. It honestly made him relieved he decided to live with the black eye over letting her heal him if it took this much out of her for just a busted lip. "I think we need to get her to Pandora," He said, not thinking about what he just said.

"Are you nuts, Kiddo?" Jack hissed, trying to keep himself still. "She's not in any shape to go to that friggin' hell hole of a planet."  
"Jack, trust me," He said, holding his cybernetic arm, opening up a hologram, looking for the coordinates of where they teleported to last time. He just prayed there wouldn't be any psychos around. If he could get her to that area, surely the creatures she made would know what to do, right? He turned his hand to face Jack, showing the coordinates. "It's just a little north of here. We'll have to walk the rest of the way there, if we hit the cliff, we're there," He said, recalling the memories of when she had first brought him. Honestly, he had forgotten about it with all the chaos in the last month, but he didn't know what else to do for her. She looked so fragile in Jack's arms, it scared him, and judging by Jack's face, he was scared too.

Jack flickered his heterochromatic gaze up, staring at Rhys's bi-colored one, letting out a long sigh. "Fine. I'll trust you, but I'm bringing my gun."

* * *

_**On Pandora...** _

Rhys was carrying a limp Adelia, who was now dressed in the shirt he left for her, secretly thankful he had asked Jack if he could change his shoes before they left first. Jack almost always wore regular sneakers, so him treading through the rocks was no problem for him, but for Rhys, it was a bit complicated, especially since Adelia had helped him last time. "C'mon, Kiddo. I'm running out of bullets," Jack said, turning to look back at Rhys as he pointed his gun out, shooting a psycho charging them between their eyes without even aiming. Rhys was shocked by how many psychos and bandits were running around today.

"Well, you know, I'm not exactly used to Pandora's gravity," He said, carefully treading through the rocks. Jack and Adelia made it seem effortless, but it really wasn't for him - he wasn't used to the harsher gravity or to tracking all this bumpy terrain, much less with Adelia limp in his arms. He was going off his memory; he just remembered it was extremely bumpy and there was a cliff.

"Excuses. All I hear are excuses," Jack said, shooting a bandit this time, walking forward a bit more before turning to look at Rhys. "If you would've taken my gun instead, we'd already friggin' be there."  
"Jack, I don't even know _how_ to shoot a gun," He said, getting a definitely overexaggerated eye-roll in response.

"And she wanted you to protect her when she comes down here," Jack responded, shaking his head, stopping as they reached a cliff. "Is this it?"

Rhys panted as he stopped behind Jack. Adelia's weight was definitely more apparent on the planet - not saying that she was fat, but the gravity was definitely making it harder for him to carry her with his cybernetic arm. His arm alone felt like it weighed triple as much as it did on Helios. Not even looking behind him, Jack raised his gun, pulling a trigger as a psycho charged at them again, screaming about poop trains, leaving Rhys to wonder just what the hell is wrong with them. Once he caught his breath, he felt Jack staring at him, very impatiently waiting for an answer. He looked even more intimidating on Pandora than he did on Helios, but that could easily be credited to the blood splattered all over him, or the three layers of shirts he was wearing. A bright Hyperion yellow shirt under a brown vest under a grey jacket with a sewn-in bright "H" on the back; honestly, Rhys was wondering how he could wear all those layers with this hot weather, but that was less important than the task at hand. "Yes, this is it," Rhys finally huffed out, straightening his back as he adjusted Adelia in his arms. "I don't know how we're going to get down, though."

"How didja get down last time?" Jack asked, looking at Rhys.

"Uh... Well..." Rhys paused. He really didn't want to give Jack more material to laugh at him about, and his less than manly scream as he fell face forward was definitely going to give Jack something to laugh about. "We just walked off the cliff, but she used her powers to stop us from hurting ourselves." It wasn't a lie. She did use her powers. And he did walk off the cliff. Just face first. While screaming.

"Well, I don't think we can manage that," Jack said, scratching his head with his free hand, resting his hand holding the gun on his side. "I could call in a loader bot to lower us down, buutttt, from the sounds of what you described, her... 'people'? Or whatever, might not let us in with it."  
"Woah, Jack, you can't go in there," He said quickly. "You should stay outside the cave and keep watch."  
"I'm not doing that, Champ," He said flatly, pulling out his ECHO, calling for a loader bot. Seconds later, a moonshot was fired across the canyon as to not bother the cave of whatever it was Rhys had talked about that he already forgot about. The loader bot applied its thrusters, flying over to Jack and Rhys before landing next to them.   
"Here is the ammo requested. Awaiting further instructions," The bot said, holding out a handful of pistol ammo, which Jack took, loading his pistol back up.

"Lower us down to the bottom of this cliff," Jack commanded, pointing to Rhys and Adelia. "Those two first."

"Instructions received. Commencing," The loader bot said, moving to Rhys before he could object, holding Rhys on its metal arms as it lowered the three of them down to the ground, practically dropping Rhys on his ass once they were landed. Moments later, the loader bot flew back up, coming down with Jack riding on the back of it, looking around to make sure there were no other psychos or bandits nearby. "Now, that wasn't so bad," Jack said, shrugging his shoulders. "Seems like they don't come down here."

"Isn't that a good thing?"  
"Friggin' boring, but yeah, I guess it's a good thing," Jack said, pointing to the cave. "Is that where we need to go?"

"Yeah, but Jack..." Rhys started, tensing as Adelia moved slightly in his arms. She didn't say anything, just shifted very slightly - it was like she knew where she was, even though she was unconscious.

"Did she just move, or am I goin' crazy?" Jack asked, staring at Adelia's limp form.

"She knows this place," Rhys said, letting out a soft sigh. "Jack, please, don't come in here."  
"Kiddo, I'm coming in," Jack said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Then, for fuck's sake, don't shoot anything," Rhys said. He wasn't going to keep arguing with Jack, he knew Adelia was growing weaker by the minute, her paling complexion was showing that. He just couldn't understand why. "She will _never_ forgive you if you hurt something in there."  
"Fine, I'll empty my gun again," He said, ejecting the magazine before ejecting the bullets in the chamber. Once he did so, he tucked his gun away on the holster on his left leg, walking down the cave. If Rhys was stressing this badly about it, then Jack knew it must've meant a lot to her. "I can't see shit."

"Just go," Rhys said, rolling his eyes now that he was in the dark. He had turned off his ECHO eye once they arrived, as per Jack's request in case someone was spying (like Katagawa). 

Eventually, they reached a wall, Rhys's hands tightening on Adelia's limp body as no sounds were heard. After a few more seconds, Jack scratched his head, growing annoyed. "Well, Rhysie. I think you-" He stopped as the rocks slowly started to move, the Rakk that had landed on him before squawking loudly as if it were ordering the bullymongs to open a pathway. They opened a small pathway just for Rhys and Jack to fit through, Rhys being mindful of Adelia's head as the rakk squawked erratically at Rhys, flapping her wings angrily, looking to Jack. 

"I know, I know, I told him not to come," Rhys said to it, getting a stare from Jack. Was he really talking to a fucking _Rakk?_ Jack thought, moving closer into the cave, his eyes scanning around. He was awestruck and now understood why Rhys had tried to keep him out of it.

"Holy shitcakes," Jack said, his blue and green gaze trailing around the building, all of the creatures beneath the overhang staring up at him in particular, wary of him. He didn't have any strong scent of her on him, and the Rakk just stared at him. Breaking his gaze from the scenery, he looked at the Rakk, staring in fascination. It was a completely different Rakk than the ones outside. _So this is what he meant by her creations..._ He thought to himself, reaching out to touch the Rakk, only to get snapped at in response.

"She doesn't like anyone Adelia doesn't trust," Rhys said, making his way down the stairs quickly. The Skag that she had given some power to would surely know how to help, right? Jack stayed up top, secretly contemplating sending an excavation crew down here to capture these creatures for transport, getting a peck from the Rakk, as if it read his mind.

"Hey, you fucking bird, that hurt," Jack said, snarling at the Rakk before it took off, flying down with Rhys. Jack ultimately sighed. If he sent crews down here, she would probably know in one of her visions or, hell, maybe she could directly communicate with them. He was still learning about her.

The Rakk squawked again, snapping Jack out of his thoughts as it landed on Rhys's cybernetic arm. "She used her powers too much, I think," Jack heard Rhys explain. Could Rhys understand them? Is that why he was talking? He was so confused that his brain literally hurt trying to put two and two together. "I didn't know what to do so I brought her here," Rhys continued, the skag pup running up to him as he neared the pack, the alpha standing stiff, keeping its eyes on Jack before shifting to Rhys, huffing quietly as the pup ran between Rhys's feet. The difference in how much they liked the two of them infuriated Jack, but he knew he couldn't say anything about it right now. Jack made his way down the stairs, feeling the glares of all the beasts on him, and that infuriated him more. The Alpha huffed again, growling at Jack before it looked at Rhys again, turning its back to the three of them, walking off to a darker part of the cave. The Rakk perched on Rhys's shoulder squawked, taking off towards the Skag, landing on its back. Rhys followed behind the alpha, the pup from last time running around his feel happily, panting as it followed along with them, not paying any mind to Jack.

Adelia stirred in Rhys's arm again, her marks glowing brightly for a brief moment, before dimming again, repeating once more, then again, as if it were matching her slow heartbeat as they walked. "Why is she doing that?" Jack asked, right behind Rhys.

"I don't know," Rhys said point-blank, his grip on her tightening slightly. The skag turned, stopping at the entrance of a Vault gate, huffing again, barking to the pup. 

"A Vault?" Jack said, examining the gate, stepping closer only to stop when the alpha skag snarled at him.

"He's with us," Rhys said, looking to the alpha. The skag huffed again, baring its teeth at Jack again, as if it were threatening him, before staring at Rhys, tilting its head to the gate. "I need to bring her in there?" Rhys asked, honestly about to shit himself. Vaults typically held giant Guardians that could squish him, and he wouldn't be able to do anything it there was one. The Rakk squawked, confirming his fears. He looked at Jack with a worried expression, getting a shrug from Jack in response. Slowly, Rhys approached the gate, Jack walking along the side of him, both of them walking through the purple glow coming from the gate. It was warm, like Adelia's phasewalk. Seconds later, they emerged in a dark area, a pedestal in the middle of the room. A large, stone Guardian sat at the back of the cave, watching them with piercing, golden eyes. Blue markings flowed throughout its chest and down its arms, watching them closely. Suddenly, a smaller Guardian appeared before them. Having animal-like claws for feet, it wielded a scepter, its back having a hunch as it approached the two of them, Jack slowly reaching for his gun.

"That will not be necessary," The small guardian said. "I am the Elder Wraith. You have my creator in your arms," The Wraith explained, bowing down before them. "However, I see my creator is not doing well. Do explain."  
"Holy fuck, it talks," Rhys said, completely mind blown. 

Jack rolled his eyes, he was just as amazed as Rhys, but he wasn't so surprised he couldn't talk. "She healed my lip - which she busted - then she promptly passed out."  
"I see," The Wraith said, standing back up, making its way down the long bridge. "This way."

Rhys took a gulp, following as Adelia moved in his arms again, her brows furrowing slightly as her markings continued to glow on and off. Jack followed right behind, watching as Adelia moved in Rhys's arms. He was oddly more worried about her than he thought he would be, especially now that they were in the Vault with her. "O-Oh, she's been having nightmares a lot lately, too," Rhys finally piped up, getting no response from the Wraith at first.

"I am not surprised," The Wraith said as they reached the pedestal. "We warned her it was far too early to leave. Place her here." The Wraith pointed to the pedestal, looking over at Rhys. Slowly, he laid her down on the pedestal, gripping her hand lightly with his. "You will need to leave. We will take care of her."  
"Now, see, that's gonna be a big friggin' problem," Jack finally piped up. "We need her to come back with us."

"Need or want her to?" The Wraith asked for clarification. Rhys looked back at Jack, slowly moving his hand away from hers, stopping when she reached up and grabbed his hand softly with hers. She was oddly cold.

"Don't go," Adelia said weakly, gripping Rhys's hand tightly. Rhys turned to her, gripping her hand again, trying his best not to cry like a big baby in front of Jack. He had honestly thought he lost her.

"Creator," The Wraith began as Jack grinned smugly. "With all due respect to you, you are not strong enough to be using your powers as you have. You have used too much in too little of time."

Adelia stayed quiet, her grey gaze on Rhys. "I won't use them anymore, then. Not until I'm stronger," She managed to speak out, her strength coming back to her.

"You say that as you lie on an Eridium infused pedestal you made in case of this."

"Addy... Maybe you should stay here," Rhys said, running his thumb over her knuckles.

"Are you fuckin' insane?" Jack asked immediately after, stomping up to him. "All this work and we're going to leave her?!"

"The young one is right. You need to stay here, Creator," The Wraith piped in, ignoring Jack.

"I don't want to stay here any longer," Adelia snapped, looking at the Wraith. "If I use the minimal amount of my powers and recharge frequently, I'll be fine, right?" She argued, staring at the Wraith.

"How are you going to recharge frequently, though?" Rhys asked softly, getting a glare from both Jack and her. He hated talking like this, but he'd rather he be alive and well than alive and barely functioning.

"The young one is correct again. You will not be able to recharge frequently unless you take human essence."

They all stayed quiet. Jack had no idea that she could do that, and honestly, it was pretty badass that she could; Rhys knew that she could, but knew that she didn't like to. "... What if I infuse some Eridium in a host?" She finally said, flicking her eyes from Rhys to the Wraith. "It wouldn't harm their lifespan and I would be able to take a little every day without affecting them."

"That could work, but you would have to have one marked for that," The Wraith said, looking at Jack and Rhys. "This one has already been marked, but you removed it. Why?"

"I had to reverse the failsafe to save him," Adelia responded, Jack holding a smug grin as the Wraith walked around him, examining him.

"So he is, what his kind calls, an idiot," Rhys bit the inside of his mouth, trying not to laugh as Adelia couldn't help but smirk. Jack, on the other hand, lost his grin, shooting daggers at the Wraith.

"In a way," She finally said, earning herself a glare from Jack.

"Creator, you are aware that this would happen when you removed the failsafe, are you not? You are not an ignorant girl, you know that the second you relieved the mark, you would grow weaker."

Adelia rolled her eyes and Rhys couldn't help but wonder if this Guardian had helped her into the Vault or if she held even more meaning to her than he realized. "I was fully aware of that, but I thought I would be fine. I took some energy a month ago and I was fine."

"You used too much of your powers without any energy to replenish, surely you knew this would happen," The Wraith said, the guilt on Adelia's face showing. She knew it was going to happen, but she didn't think it'd be this severe. "But, this one is not marked any longer. You will not be able to do that at this time with this one." Moving on with the conversation, the Wraith moved away from Jack, walking over to Rhys, its hand reaching out, snatching his left arm, pulling the sleeve of his shirt down, revealing the blue mark against his skin. "But this one... It is a fresh mark. Young and youthful. Affectionate to you," The Wraith paused, seeing how he treated Adelia through flashes of memories. " _Very_ affectionate to you," It corrected itself, getting Adelia and Rhys to flare a dark crimson while Jack huffed. He didn't like where this was going. "This one will work."  
Rhys looked down at Adelia who peeked up at him. He knew she marked him, but he didn't know if he wanted to commit to this. "... If I agree," Rhys started, nervously picking his words. "Won't it harm me?" Jack stayed quiet, rubbing his chin with his right hand slowly. He knew fully aware that when he was marked by Lilith punching the artifact in his face that it was incredibly painful. He even lost vision in his green eye, but he wasn't going to say anything.

"No, it will nor harm you beyond topical injuries," The Wraith said. "You will have a mark across your left arm and chest, but you may choose to cover that up with whatever you wish. It will not harm you to hide it."

"What about me?" Jack finally said, staring at the three of them. It was bothering him that he was being left out, especially since he was used to being the center of attention. And he was the main reason Adelia was like this.

"Assuming that Creator will regain her strength from her marked one here, she will be able to mark you again, in time, and feed off of you, as well, and will probably have to do so. However, the marked ones will have to have one remain near her at all times."

Rhys stayed quiet, thinking back to all the memories he held of the two of them together over the last couple of months, but this was nearly like a wedding proposal, and he wasn't sure he was ready for that. She kept her eyes on Rhys, watching him as he stayed deep in thought. "I won't force you to," She whispered to him, squeezing his hand lightly. On one hand, she had only been sweet to him, and he really liked her. But on another hand... He knew if he did this, he'd definitely have to share her with Jack later - the Wraith said so itself.

"C'mon, Champ, we both know you're going to say yes eventually," Jack eventually piped up, walking over to Rhys, gripping his shoulder. "Plus, it means I won't be able to take her from you," He whispered into Rhys's ear, quiet enough so Adelia and the Wraith didn't hear him. Jack didn't like this, but he knew for a fact that he wanted to get to know her more, and if it meant giving up his only chance to be with Adelia exclusively, then so be it. She made his job interesting, not to mention, easier with her random visions. He couldn't just let her get away from him.

"I..." Rhys frowned. Why was he so hesitant? He felt everyone's eyes bore into him, awaiting his answer. "I'll do it," He finally said, his heart fluttering at her relieved smile. He was still unsure about this, but he did at least owe Adelia this, and he couldn't say it would have bad benefits. He's seen her at her worst and she's seen him at his worst, and they still pulled through, plus, he couldn't deny that he was drawn to her, and she definitely boosted his confidence.

"Come with me," The Wraith said, walking to the larger Guardian, nearly jumping out his skin as it made a loud roar, another gate coming up in front of it.

Jack stayed back this time, making his way over to Adelia. "You are definitely friggin' interesting, Pumpkin," He said, his eyes watching as Rhys followed the Wraith into the gate. "But, why did you do that if you knew this would happen?"  
"I didn't know it would happen," She said, resting back against the pedestal. Up close, Jack could see the Eridium flowing through the marks in the stone and, if he squinted hard enough, he could see her absorbing it. He could see how tired her face was, and even though she looked stronger, he could tell she was still weak. "I did know I was going to get an earful when it did eventually happen, though," She continued, causing his gaze to shift up to her face.

"So you knew this would happen."  
"Eventually, yes," She said, shifting her gaze away from him. Her marks were slowly becoming brighter and no longer pulsing. "I only came out of the Vault to save you. I had planned for you to keep the failsafe, but you were too injured. Had you not been so fatally injured, I would've left the mark on you. Surely, you know that your rise to fortune was because of me by now," She added the last part cockily, shifting her gaze back to him with a cocky smirk that made him smirk back.

"Aw, Pumpkin, you should've just said you loved me so friggin' much," He teasingly stated, reaching out to grab her soft hand with his calloused one, his smirk growing as her cheeks heated up. Even in the dim lights, she looked breathtaking. "I am Handsome God Damn Jack, after all, how could you not?" He added on, laughing when she rolled her eyes, scoffing.

"You're delusional," She said, leaving her hand in his. She didn't have the energy to fight with him, and she was worried about Rhys. The process was painful, from what she had been told when it was common for Eridians to have human partners. It was essentially forcing a bit of Siren powers onto them. They wouldn't be able to use it without a strong Siren partner, but they would be able to feel how the one marked for them was at all times.

"Am I, though, Kitten?" He whispered, lowering his face close to hers, her eyes snapping to look at him. "You marked me. Came out of the Vault to save me, and even healed my busted lip, knowing you weren't at your full strength." She felt her face heat up. He had a point. She had done so much to make sure he was safe, but she couldn't say she wasn't attracted to him, but feelings? She also didn't know. But what she did know was her feelings to Rhys. The way he cared for her, his gentleness with her, the way he complimented her every time they were intimate. His protective nature, his overbearing personality, she loved every bit of it. But Jack? She wasn't sure. She felt drawn to him for their mutual goals of restoring Pandora to the former glory it held, but the rest of it, she had never thought about.

Finally, she looked at him, opening her mouth as they turned to the gate, hearing Rhys's feet shuffle out. "It is complete," The Wraith said, walking ahead of Rhys.

Jack's eyes widened at the mark on Rhys - it was triple the size his had been. Adelia looked away, feeling nothing but guilt for it as Rhys stayed quiet, honestly looking like he was on the verge of vomiting and passing out. His left arm held vibrant gold markings similar to the color Jack's had been when he was marked, but his flowed around his body carefully, a small line running down his forearm before being completely covered on his upper arm. His shoulder was missing any marks, but it extended to his chest, covering his left pectoral nearly completely, stopping just before his nipple. "Holy shit, Kiddo," Jack said, releasing Adelia's hand. He was amazed. He could still vividly remember the pain his mark had caused and could only begin to wonder how much pain Rhys had been in. His entire left arm and chest were marked in that glow, and Jack could only remember how bad it burned him when it was embedded in his face.

"As before, the mark will turn into a blue shade once the Eridium settles in his bloodstream," The Wraith began, breaking Jack out of his trance. He was surprised how well Rhys was holding it together, despite the obvious look of wanting to vomit. "Approximately two or three days. I advise you to leave the marks uncovered until they are blue," It explained, looking at Adelia over Jack. "I would not drain any energy until he is ready. You are still not at your strongest, Creator, but you have absorbed enough to walk out of here. I advise you to not use your powers any more than absolutely necessary until you are closer to half your full potential." Adelia stayed quiet, slowly moving to sit up, sliding her legs over the edge of the pedestal as it stopped glowing. "It will take at least two months for the Eridium to restore to the pedestal, so I do advise you do not do anything to need it urgently."

"I got it, I got it," Adelia mumbled, keeping her eyes off of Rhys. Slowly, she put her feet down, stumbling a bit as Jack reached out, catching her arm, steadying her.

"I just want to go home," Rhys finally said, Adelia's gaze flicking to him. She felt bad for the marks, but he didn't seem to mind them, beyond maybe the pain. Rhys met her gaze, staring at her, relieved that she was okay, but he was furious from the sight of Jack's hand on her. 

"Please, do ensure to come back in three months," The Wraith said, answering Rhys's next question of if they could leave. "I will ensure that you have enough Eridium in your body to continue to support her until she is back at a healthy strength. You may leave."

* * *

After getting pecked by her Rakk and silently judged by the Skag, Adelia and Rhys played with the creatures while Jack just walked around curiously. Now that Adelia was awake, he could ask her questions, and he did. A lot.

"How did you hide this from radars?" He asked, watching Rhys play with the small pup that seemed to love him. "And why does that pup like him?"

"It's deep underground. It's not hard to hide it when they'd rather stay inside here than be attacked by bandits," She said, feeding the Rakk a few berries from a nearby bush - a bush that Jack hadn't heard of being on Pandora since he burnt down New Haven.

"And the pup?"

"That, I don't know," She answered matter of factly. Jack couldn't help but notice how tired she still was. He felt a pang of guilt every time he looked at her tired face, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it right now. "Could be my scent or it could be the fact that he played with it last time he was here. It's just a pup, they latch onto people easily. Unlike the creatures outside, all of mine are tamed."

"That's friggin' amazing, Cupcake. I never would've guessed you were like a Goddess," He said, reaching out to the Rakk slowly, getting his hand snapped at in return.

"She doesn't like you," She said, giggling at the Rakk who shot daggers at Jack. "You don't have my scent on you much, and you're covered in her favorite snack." Jack arched a brow at the last part, waiting for her to answer. "Psycho. She loves psychos."

"Oh," He said, dumbfounded. "Wait, what?"

Adelia rolled her eyes at him. He could be so oblivious for someone who claimed to be the hero of Pandora. "There's a hole up there. Every so often, a Psycho falls down it. Why do you think all the other Rakks are flying around it?" She asked, pointing up to the opening, getting an angry squawk from the Rakk on her arm for taking away her berries.

"Did you ever name any of them?" Jack asked, looking up at the hole. That answered why there was sunlight down here.  
"I used to," She said, holding her hand back out to the Rakk, letting the bird resume its dinner. "I haven't in a long time. This girl is the last of my originals," She said, smiling as the Rakk continued to make a mess all over her hands, enjoying the berries.

"And you didn't name her?"

"I didn't," She said, pulling the berries away from the Rakk again, getting an angry squawk. "Oh, hush. You'll get sick." The Rakk squawked at her again, flapping its wings angrily at her.

"Seems like she has your temper, Kitten," Jack teased, chuckling when Adelia shot him a glare. He still couldn't believe she was handling a Rakk with no protective gear on her besides a plain t-shirt, or that the Rakk looked so vastly different from the ones he would normally see.

Adelia shifted her gaze to Rhys, watching him lazily toss a stick for the skag pup, propped up against the cool wall. She could feel that he was in pain, but he didn't seem to be showing it much. She was amazed by his pain tolerance - everyone had their marks different. Jack had his on his face and Rhys had his covering his arm. She had seen some with nearly a full-body mark, some with just a tiny mark on their finger - it really varied person to person, but back then, showing off your mark was a symbol of pride and love. Jewelry and material items were meaningless when it came to actual affection. She couldn't help but wonder if Jack's would've been different had Lilith not marked him the way she did. "I don't think I should tell him we'll be staying with you for the time being," Adelia finally said, getting a hard stare from Jack.

"Now I know you've lost your friggin' mind," He responded, watching as the Rakk flew off her arm, flying around with the others.

"I'm sure you remember how painful it was for you when you were marked," She responded, slowly lowering herself down onto the ground, placing the berries underneath the bush. She knew they would fertilize the tree as they decomposed and would possibly cause others to grow near it, plus, the Skag pups liked to eat the berries that fell off anyways. She closed her eyes, resting her back against the cool rock. "Rhys isn't going to want to be around someone else when he's hurting."

"Oh, come _on_ , Cupcake. You know as well as I do that you won't be safe in the hub. Plus, what if his little code monkey friends stop by? How is he going to explain a bright orange wound on half of his body?"

Adelia stayed quiet, keeping her eyes shut, thinking to herself. On one hand, Jack was right, but on another, Rhys was already severely jealous and threatened by Jack, even though Adelia constantly reassured him she wouldn't leave him for Jack. Finally, she opened her grey eyes, seeing Jack squatting down next to her, touching the grass with his hand, similar to how Rhys had done; honestly, it amazed her how alike but so vastly different the two of them were. "The room needs to be soundproof, at least," She finally said, shifting her gaze to the sunlight beaming down through the hole. "Unless you want to hear everything."  
Jack nearly fell over at her words, snapping his head toward her with a smirk. "Maybe I do want to."

"You're disgusting," She said, rolling her eyes, her cheeks flushing a light pink, which only made his smirk grow more.

"You say that now, but I'll win you over, Pumpkin," He stated matter-of-factly, laughing when she rolled her eyes again. He already knew she was going to mark him again, it was just a matter of time. The Wraith had told her she would have to mark one other person to continue to reside out of the Vault, and who else would she mark but him?

"We should probably start heading back to Helios," She said after a few minutes of silence. She was tired and just wanted to shower, maybe watch a movie and... other things, with Rhys. Looking over at Rhys, she saw him staring at her - he looked incredibly tired, just like she did. She knew deep down, he was feeling what she felt, but she wasn't going to tell Jack that -, the skag pup asleep in his lap. She heard Jack stand straight up, fixing his shirt before he held his hand out to her. "I can get up by myself," She declared, ignoring his hand as she tried - and failed, to get up.

"Uhuh, that's what I thought," He said, smirking cockily when she sighed, placing her hand in his. He hoisted her to her feet with ease, purposely pulling her against him to make Rhys jealous. "Now, I'll just carry you back to the shuttle."

"You'll do no such thing," Adelia said, the jealousy from Rhys wearing in the back of her mind. She really hadn't realized how jealous he got about Jack being around her, but now she could feel it. She shoved against his chest, attempting to squirm her way out of his arms.

"C'mon, Pumpkin, certainly you know you can't make the trek through the rocks with how weak you are, and we both know Rhysie over there won't want to friggin' carry you. He had a hard enough time carrying you the first time," Jack said, keeping a grip on her.

"I'll be _fine._ If I collapse, then you can carry me."

"You don't even have shoes."

She stayed quiet. He had a point. She looked over at Rhys, seeing him look away from them. So many thoughts were running through his head right now. The way she had looked at him when he came out from the (very painful) marking was stuck in his mind. All he could picture was that pained expression on her face, and he honestly couldn't help but wonder if she regretted asking him to do it. The whole time they were over here, Jack had been next to her, no doubt trying to make him jealous - and successfully doing so - and now, to see him embracing her like that made his heart drop. He was hot, in pain, and ready to go home and relax, but, he feared how Adelia would act when she was alone with him, now. "I don't want you to carry me. Call a loader bot down and have it carry me," She finally said, feeling all of Rhys's emotions hit her, her own heart breaking from how he felt. She couldn't tell what he was thinking about, but she definitely felt how he did.

"C'mon now, Cupcake, don't be like that," He said, staring down at her. He did have a Loader bot down here and ready to go, but he wanted to mess with the code monkey - and her - so much more.

"Jack, I'm serious," She finally said, watching as her Rakk flew down, pecking Jack's head quite a bit, allowing her to wiggle away from him as he covered his head.

"You stupid fuckin' bird!" He said, glaring at it as it squawked angrily at him, pecking him on the forehead before flying over to a fleeing Adelia, who was making her way over to Rhys now. "Goddammit," He mumbled under his breath, fixing his hair.

Rhys held his cybernetic arm as the Rakk landed on his arm, squawking happily at him, earning a chuckle from him. "Good girl," He whispered to her, scratching her chin lightly. He could see Jack standing back, fixing his hair, shooting daggers at him, and it felt oh-so-nice to see Jack so aggravated. None of the creatures down here seemed to like him, and it honestly tickled Rhys to death.

"You're horrible," Adelia finally said, squatting down next to him, giving him a soft smile. "I swear, it's like you gave her telepathic orders to peck him."

"Maybe I did," Rhys said back, wiggling his eyebrows at her, smiling as she giggled. "Addy, I'm ready to go home," He said softly, moving his hand away from the Rakk's neck, watching it fly off again.

"About that..."

"Don't tell me," He cut her off, reaching his cool, metal hand over, softly gripping her hand with his. "Let's go home, shower, and watch a movie until we fall asleep." He paused. "Or other things," He added, his cheeks flushing a bright crimson at the thought. He felt guilty for feeling that way, but his body had grown so used to being intimate with her every day, she was like his drug at this point.

"Rhysie, you dirty man," She whispered back, her own face turning a bright crimson as she playfully swatted his unmarked shoulder. "But, Jack won't let us go home. I... had a vision and told him. He won't let us go back alone."

Rhys let out a loud sigh, closing his eyes as he let his head thump lightly against the wall. "Addy, why?" Was all he could say, feeling the guilt radiating off of her in the back of his mind, instantly making him feel bad.

"You would've ended up telling him anyway," She mumbled, looking away from him. She knew he was in a lot of pain and was probably frustrated. She didn't like the idea of staying with Jack full time either. She liked to be alone. With Rhys. Not with Jack and Rhys. Just Rhys. 

"Addy, I didn't mean it like that," Rhys said softly. He felt guilty for how he said it. He was tired and aggravated and just wanted to go home and spend time with her. Alone. Just like she did. "What was the vision?" He asked softly.

"I-"

"She was abducted by the Pandorian trade," Jack interjected, having already made his way over to the two of them. He was ready to go home, as well. He had to go into work to deal with the asshat he fired earlier, after all. "Couldn't use her powers and abused." Rhys stayed quiet. He felt even more guilty knowing how scared she must have been when she had it, and he snapped on her. He shifted his gaze off of Jack to Adelia, who stayed quiet, still not making eye contact with him. Finally, Rhys let out a sigh, he knew he was in the wrong. He'd make it up to her and apologize in private. "Given that Katagawa can use invisibility as I can, we can't trust him to not sneak in and haul her off. He was pretty friggin' pissed after she busted his nose."

"Alright," Rhys finally said. He could see the reasoning behind Jack's decision. It would definitely be a different story if it was just because. "Let's go home, then," He said, poking the skag pup's stomach with his cool finger, getting a whine in response. Finally, the pup flipped over onto its feet, looking up at him. "I have to go, buddy," He said, feeling Adelia smiling as she watched the two of them. Feeling her feelings was definitely going to take some getting used to, but at least now he'd know how she was when he was at work. The pup whined again, rubbing its head on his hand before the Alpha skag barked loudly, the pup letting out a whine again before jumping off his lap. Jack stood there, watching the whole ordeal; it blew his mind how much they liked Rhys but not him. 

Adelia stood up, stumbling a bit as Jack gripped her arm. "Careful, Pumpkin," He said, steadying her as Rhys got to his feet as well, holding his shirt in his cybernetic hand. "I'm glad you decided to take up my offer, 'cause I had Loader bots already sending your stuff to my place," He continued, looking at Rhys with his blue and green gaze. "They're soundproofing your room, too. I don't want to friggin' hear you two." Adelia giggled while Rhys chuckled, both of their faces turning a bright crimson as they stared at each other knowingly. At least he did take them into consideration, despite his obvious jealousy that Rhys had her and not him. "I'll carry her to the Loader bot," Jack said, scooping Adelia into his arms before she or Rhys could object, a squeal coming from her as she felt his warm arms under her upper thighs, his other arm gripping her shoulder softly, oddly gentle, considering who he was. Rhys glared at Jack, but couldn't object. He couldn't carry her with how he felt right now. The mark didn't hurt when he touched it, but he wasn't sure how it'd feel with her against him, or fabric, especially since the Wraith warned him not to let anything irritate it or it'd take longer to stop glowing orange. He followed behind Jack quietly, smiling as Adelia demanded Jack put her down because she 'wasn't an infant and could walk just fine'.

"I'll be back soon," She said as the Rakk landed in front of Jack, staring up at him menacingly, causing him to stop in his tracks to stare back. It honestly made Rhys happy inside to know that they liked him over Jack, mostly because it meant she liked him more. The Rakk squawked angrily, flapping its wings at Jack. "Oh, be nice," She said, rolling her eyes, smacking Jack's chest when he stuck his tongue out at the bird. "Both of you."

The Rakk squawked again, flying next to Adelia, squawking happily when she reached out, lightly scratching its head. "I'll be back soon, I promise," She repeated, the Rakk staring at her before flying to Rhys, landing on his cybernetic arm.

"I'll be back too," He reassured, getting a scoff from Jack as he walked out of the cave with Adelia, the bullymongs patiently waiting for Rhys to leave. Accepting his answer, the Rakk took off, squawking at him again before he turned, leaving the cave behind Jack and Adelia, the light from the cave quickly being covered and secured by the bullymongs.

* * *

_**Back on Helios...** _

_**AN: Smut.** _

Jack had left to go tend to the business with the stand-in manager for Henderson, leaving Rhys and Adelia by themselves. Just as Jack had promised, the room they slept in last night held all of their clothes and various things, including all the Handsome Jack posters Rhys had taken down and put in the closet, that Jack had graciously decided to slap back on the walls.

"He's a sadist," Rhys finally said, plopping down on their new bed, holding his head in his hands. They both had showered together, both wanted to make sure the other didn't collapse. Rhys was dressed in his red, silk pajama pants while Adelia chose to just wear the red shirt of Rhys's he always complimented her in.

"I think so," Adelia said, slowly pulling the posters off the wall one by one. Rhys had wanted to help, but Adelia insisted he "sit his pretty boy ass down and let her do it", and quite frankly, he just didn't have the energy to argue.

"At least we have a bigger television now," Rhys said, turning his head to look at her, his eyes watching her body moved around. She still wasn't at her best and he could definitely see her usual gracefulness was a bit clumsy, but she insisted on doing it alone. 

"That's true, even though we always forget about the movie halfway through," She responded, looking at him flashing him a sweet smile as she carefully pulled down another one. "You have so many of these. Some of these, I haven't even seen."

"To be fair, I don't remember buying half of these, either," He said, pushing his wet hair out of his face before slowly lying himself down on the comfortable bed, closing his eyes. "At least the bed is more comfortable than my old one." Adelia giggled, looking back at him resting. She felt horrible and couldn't even imagine the pain he went through getting marked for her, but he reassured her it was his choice, so she tried not to let herself think about it too much. "Addy, I promise it's fine," He finally piped up. They both were going to have to get used to each other's feelings, thought it seemed Rhys was starting to learn her a lot faster than she could him. " _I'm_ fine. I'm more worried about how you feel, right now."

"I'm fine, Rhysie," She said, slowly pulling off the last posted of Jack off the wall, rolling it up similar to how she had done the others. Rhys had shown her how to properly roll them to store them with the first one before she made him sit out helping her. Setting it in a box, she hauled the box of at least ten posters to their new closet, getting on her knees to shove it way to the back, out of sight. She felt Rhys's eyes burning into her ass, smirking as she wiggled it slowly.

"Addy..." Rhys warned, his eyes watching her wiggle her rear. She definitely knew how to tease him, push him to the edge, even. Slowly, he licked his lips; they had been intimate many times now, but he had never tasted her, despite her opting to give him a blowjob quite often in the mornings. Every time he had wanted to, he got distracted by her begging, she never did let him finish teasing her - he always pushed her to the edge. Even now, in his thoughts, a tent had formed in his pants, remembering the sounds of her lustfully begging for him.

"I hope you're daydreaming about me," Adelia said, breaking him out of his thoughts. She had crawled over to him, letting her fingers dance along his thighs. She wasn't really in the mood for a full round at this moment, but she knew if she didn't tend to the problem, it was going to lead to that.

"Of course," He whispered to her, his eyes staring down at her lustfully. He loved it when she trailed her fingers against his thighs, especially when he wasn't wearing pants. Her soft fingers were so soothing. Always warm and welcoming everywhere they touched. She blushed under his stare, she could really feel the need he held for her this time. Literally feel it, not just metaphorically. 

Slowly, she unbuttoned the single button on his pants, revealing his bright yellow, Hyperion boxers. He said he wore them because they were comfortable, but deep down, she felt like he was still a secret Jack fanboy. Carefully, she unbuttoned the button on those, as well, pulling his erection through the hole with ease, a soft groan coming from him already. The feel of her hand around his throbbing hard-on combined with the cool air definitely felt nice. He kept his brown gaze on her, smirking when she blushed under his stare; he could feel she was growing aroused just from touching him, and that only turned him on more. He let out a breathy moan as she slid her tongue out of her rosy lips, his erection throbbing while she slowly licked up his shaft. Tilting his head back, he clenched the sheets in his hands - she had told him before she didn't like her hair being pulled aggressively, and he knew he'd get aggressive.

She smirked up at him, enjoying hearing her moan for him as she firmly grasped his length, holding her hand still closer to his hilt, her mouth opening, taking in just the tip to tease him. Earning herself a low moan, his hips thrust slightly - he wanted her to take his entire length inside of her mouth - but she stopped him with her arm, her fingers on her right hand lightly rubbing along his thigh, earning herself another soft breath. She knew it drove him mad when she touched him, and she enjoyed every minute of it. Slowly, she pressed her tongue flat against his tip, her cheeks flushing as he let out a breathy moan of her name. Moving her tongue around his tip, getting it properly lubricated with her saliva, she pulled it out of his mouth, hearing him groan in protest. "Patience, 'Love'," She quoted to him, getting a glare from him in response. He had no problem teasing her like that, but when she did it to him, it riled him up even more.

Moving her hand up, she covered it with the saliva she had left around his tip, allowing him to thrust his hips slightly as she ran her finger against his lower head, teasing him more. She could make him ejaculate just with her hands if she wanted to, and the precum already leaking from the tip showed that much. She knew exactly where to touch him, and how to touch him, and he was loving every minute of it. Pumping her hand, she kept a slightly firm grip as she twisted her hand very carefully, being mindful not to hurt him, but rather, push him closer to the edge, and from the sounds he was making, she was doing a good job. Gradually, with each pumping movement, she moved her hand lower and higher, properly lubricating his length before she took his head into her mouth again, keeping her hand pumping at a slow, steady pace.

"F-fuck," Rhys moaned out, his hands gripping the sheets even harder as she took more of his length in her mouth, her head bopping up and down as she sucked him off. She kept her tongue flat, twitching it against his shaft with each movement, slowly taking in more and more of his length in her throat, keeping her hand pumping in the opposite direction of her head. She felt her ownself growing aroused just from the delectable taste of him, her face heating up as he moaned out her name; moving her hand away, she took his entire length in her throat, creating a snug suction, a slight gag coming from her when he thrust his hips, a loud moan erupting from him. She hadn't intended on having a full round, but just knowing how she made him feel aroused her greatly - she wanted to be pleased, too, and she was already wet and ready. Slowly, she slid her head up, a string of saliva coming from her lips as she gripped his member with her hand again, pumping him slowly, her face a bright crimson while she stared up at him lustfully. Feeling her mouth move off of his length, he groaned in annoyance, he was enjoying it, but when her hand replaced her mouth, he shuddered, turning his gaze back to her, his erection throbbing in her hand as he gazed down at her, taking in her lewd expression. Slowly, she removed her grip from him, moving her hands to remove her black, lacey panties - the same ones he had bought for her. He felt his breathing stop as he watched her slowly stand up, maintaining eye contact with him as she climbed on top of him. 

Sliding his hands up the back of her shirt, he took a shaky breath - he could feel how bad she wanted him, and it'd be a lie if he didn't want her just as bad -, slowly pulling her (his) shirt over her head, tossing it onto the floor. Moving his left hand down, he held his shaft snugly, his right hand slowly lowering her down, both of them letting out soft moans as he penetrated her. Her muscled twitched around him as she took in his entire length, his left hand now grasping at her thigh as she started to rock her hips slowly, allowing herself time to adjust to his large girth inside of her, her hands moving to his cheeks, holding his face up towards her as she kissed him hungrily. Obliging to her kiss, he returned with a hungry one of his own, a low moan coming from him as she began to bounce herself slowly, sliding him out of her slightly, before bringing herself back down on him, a soft moan coming from her. She wanted to be more aggressive and it frustrated her that she didn't have the strength, but he happily helped her out by sliding his cybernetic arm to her hip, helping her raise herself up and lower herself down, his own hips moving with her. It was the first time she had been on top, and he was being extremely patient with her, which only made her even more flustered. 

Slowly, he slid himself out of her, his eyes staying locked on her confused one before her eyes widened, feeling him toss her down on the bed, watching him quickly crawl on top of her, capturing her lips with his in a passionate, needing kiss, kicking his pants and boxers off with ease. She shivered, moaning against his lips as he slowly slid his entire length in her again. Normally, he would've let her stay on top, but he didn't want her to overexert herself, and it easier for him to mark her like this. Gradually, he began to thrust his hips roughly, shaking the bed beneath them very slightly, his sudden aggression catching her off guard as she tangled her hands in his hair, her legs quickly wrapping around his waist soon after, earning herself a moan as he slid deeper inside of her, a moan coming from her at the same time, her hands tensing in his hair. "A-ah... R-Rhys," she moaned out, tilting her head back as he kept a steady, rough pace, his lips leaving a soft trail of kisses down her chin, jawline, and stopping at the base of her neck, his teeth taking her skin in his mouth, giving it a hard suckle as her body shuddered beneath him. Gradually, he picked up his pace, keeping his aggressiveness, rocking his hips in and out of her, marking her neck and collarbone area with quite a few lovebites, his brown eyes watching her face as she moaned, smirking when he saw tears forming in her eyes, a few whimpers coming from her. He wasn't sure why, but he felt this need to mark her as his as much as he could, and he couldn't stop himself from doing so.

He groaned when she tugged on his hair harshly, snapping him out of his marking trance as he stared down at her, her eyes full of tears, but her face held a sweet smile, biting her lip to hold in her moans. "Addy," He whispered to her, slowing his thrusts to a stop, cupping her cheeks with his cool, metal hand. He looked down at her chest, seeing that he had flooded it and her neck in small, dark purple bruises in the shape of his mouth. He blushed furiously, shifting his gaze back to her eyes, seeing her soft smile, his heart pounding in his head. He hurt her, and he could see it in her face.

"It's okay," She whispered to him, moving her hands out of his hair, cupping his cheeks softly. He opened his mouth to say something, only to be cut off by her loving kiss, his mind growing hazy with lust once again as he slowly started to rock his hips again, this time, gentler than before. She moaned softly against his lips, her hands slowly moving to his back, being mindful of the gradually dimming mark as she gripped his back softly, a louder moan coming from her as he moaned with her, his thrusts gradually picking up aggression again, his body shuddering as she squeezed his sides lightly with her legs. Using his metal arm to hold himself up, he kept his hips rocking at a decent pace, not too rough and not too fast - he didn't want to hurt her again -, as he moved his left hand to her breast, giving it a firm squeeze as she gasped, her rosy bud growing erect underneath his hand. Despite his assault on her neck and chest, she was more stimulated than she had ever been, all of his touching arousing her more. "Rhys, please," She moaned out to him, staring up at him with her lustful, grey gaze. "You don't have to be so gentle," She reassured him through her soft moans, moving her right hand into his hair, pushing his head down to hers, meeting him halfway in a passionately hungry kiss once again. He groaned against her lips, picking up his aggression as he began to thrust harder all at once, earning himself a loud, surprised moan from her, her hand in his hair pulling on it lightly while her nails dug into his back. He chuckled lowly against her lips, soon after taking her bottom lip between his teeth, giving it a gentle tug before he released it, a soft hum coming from her between her moans. Opening her lustful eyes, she stared up at him, biting her lip roughly, holding in her moans to tease him back.

He smirked down at her, her heart pounding against her chest as she gazed at his devious smirk, a sudden gasp coming from her as he pinched her rosy bud between his index and thumb fingers, twirling it ever so lightly, his hips picking up speed, slamming his entire, girthy length inside of her, pounding against her innermost wall. She tilted her head back, closing her eyes, her legs squeezing him while her nails dug further into his back, her hand in his hair now moved to his back, grasping at him as she moaned his name loudly, his lips leaving soft kisses along the marks he had given her. Feeling her muscles tighten around him, he groaned against her neck, moving his mouth to her right ear, giving the earlobe a gentle nibble before he released it, resting his head against the side of hers, enjoying the sounds she was making for him.

Nearing his own climax, he felt her muscles pull him in, signaling that she was close to one of her own, "Cum for me, Adelia," He whispered lowly into her ear, hearing her take in a sharp inhale, her body wrapping around his as her nails clawed at his back, a loud, shuddering moan escaping her as he slammed his length as deep inside of her as he could get, keeping his thrusts short and rough, moaning himself, his hand gripping the sheets next to his head as he slowly ejaculated inside of her, both of them reaching their climax at the same time. He slowed his thrust, pumping into her slowly, riding out his orgasm with her as he panted softly, feeling her grip on him slowly relax, her pants matching his. Slowly, he pulled himself out of her, falling over next to her, completely exhausted.

"That... Was something," Adelia panted out, her cheeks a bright crimson as she slowly turned to face him, seeing his tired gaze on her. Clearly, he was just as amazed as she was, but never the less, he smiled at her, turning to set his feet on the ground, looking for their clothes. "Mm... Rhysie, what are you doing?" She questioned softly, slowly, propping herself up with her arms, watching him.

"I'm looking for our clothes," He stated, grabbing his boxers and pants, sliding them on with ease. He picked up her shirt and panties, laying them on the bed before he climbed back over her, pushing her onto her back as he leaned over her, smiling down at her crimson face.

"Rhysie?" She asked softly, staring up at him curiously. He had never been like this before, but she couldn't deny she didn't like it. The markings he left on her were a bit much, but she had heard tales of Eridians being viciously marked by their freshly marked significant others. The sex? A completely different level. She felt her cheeks darken just at the thought of all the new sensations coursing through her every time he touched her. She knew that being marked changed how people acted around their significant other, but she never believed it when people told her stories. She believes them now.

"Addy," He whispered to her, keeping a soft smile. She tilted her head, keeping her gaze on his, visibly confused. "I thought I was going to lose you earlier," He finally said in a hushed whisper, his face twisting into worry. 

"Rhysie, I'm not going anywhere," She reassured him, moving her hands up to cup his cheeks softly. He had tears forming at the thought of something horrible happening to her making her heart ache. "I promise," She said quietly, giving him a sincere smile. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

"Adelia, I'm serious," He said seriously, a stray tear rolling down his cheek, causing her smile to fall. He very rarely used her real name and hearing him use it like this oddly upset her. "I honestly thought you were going to die. You were so cold and lifeless."

"Rhys," She started, her eyes widening when he pressed his lips to hers, kissing her in a desperate matter. Without hesitation, she kissed him back, only hers was sweet and soft, her hands sliding into his hair.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again," He whispered, breaking his lips from hers, his eyes staring at her with a threatening look.

She smiled, the threatening look in his face made her heart flutter. For someone who was easily quite a pacifist, he was certainly protective of her. "I won't," She repeated, smiling up at him and getting a smile in return. He gave her a soft peck on the lips again, before crawling off of her, leaving her clothes next to her.

"Let's get you cleaned up, then we'll go watch a movie," He said, smiling when she squealed at him hoisting her up, despite the pain in his marked arm. It wasn't very painful, just annoying. He had found out earlier when they were showering that she couldn't hurt him.

"Rhysie!" She exclaimed, giggling as she wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling as he stuck his tongue out at her, carrying her across the hall to the bathroom. "I can walk just fine," She teased, kissing his cheek softly as he closed the bathroom door behind her, setting her on the countertop.

"Maybe I wanted to carry you," He said, cupping her cheek with his left hand, pressing his lips sweetly to hers.


	13. Chapter 13

_**In Jack's Office... (Approx. 3:30 PM)** _

Jack was propped back in his chair, resting his feet up on his desk, browsing his ECHO. He really didn't feel like coming in today, but he had to deal with the scum that he fired earlier. Thanks to Adelia, he was more than exhausted, but, on the other hand, he felt more rejuvenated than he ever had before. He was tired but also felt like he was a few years younger, an odd feeling, that was for sure.

He nearly jumped out his skin when his ECHO started ringing - he was definitely overly exhausted if that made him jump. Upon seeing the caller's ID, he smirked, answering it.

"What's up, Pumpkin?" He asked, transitioning her to a holocall. He could see her, but she couldn't see him. He knew it wasn't something serious or she would've attacked the help button on her communicator like last time

"I have a question," She said, his eyes watching her. Her hair was a mess, despite it being pulled up, but she did look extremely rested. She probably was unaware Jack could see her, but he wasn't going to tell her.

"I might have an answer," He shot back, chuckling as she rolled her eyes, his eyes going to her neck, noticing quite a few darker marks on her skin, causing him to frown. He was pretty sure they were what he thought they were, but he hoped he was wrong.

She walked around, setting doing her ECHO on the bar, rummaging through his fridge. He couldn't help but arch a brow at her rummaging, mildly curious about what she was looking for.

"Can I cook dinner tonight?" She asked, her face showing up on the ECHO again, a small, childlike grin on it. He couldn't help but cover his mouth, holding in his chuckle. She was honestly too friggin' adorable, especially now.

"That depends, are you going to clean up your mess?" He asked, chuckling as she excitedly nodded her head.

"Yeah, I'll clean it!" She said happily, her entire mood completely different from how it was before. She seemed more relaxed and definitely more chipper, and though he wasn't complaining, he was mildly concerned, given her sudden mood shift.

"Then, you can cook your little heart out, Cupcake," He said, smirking when her cheeks darkened. He liked to think that she was blushing from his words, but he knew deep down she was probably blushing because she realized how excited she was. "Alright, Kitten, I have to go," He said, turning his face to the door as it closed, the short, chubby man he fired earlier walking in.

"Bye, Jack!" She said happily, hanging up, the hologram of her disappearing quickly.

"Your g-girlfriend is beautiful, S-sir," The man said sheepishly, making his way up the steps. Jack arched a brow, propping his head against his right hand, his heterochromatic gaze staring at him, making him fidget.

"She's pretty friggin' great, isn't she?" Jack said, humoring the man. "What's your name, Cupcake?" He asked, keeping a harsh gaze on him. 

"S-smith. Michael Smith," He answered sheepishly. "A-and yeah, she's very great."  
"Tell me, Mister Smith," Jack said, keeping his gaze on the squirming man. "Who gave you the friggin' authority to talk to one of my employees like that? Especially after I know I gave him a letter, stating he would be doing something for me?" 

"W-well, u-um... I thought it was fake, Sir," Smith answered, fidgeting. Jack was no stranger to how he dealt with his problematic employees, and that terrified him.

"So, it never occurred to you to use that little brain of yours to call me up and ask?" Jack said, already growing annoyed.

"N-no, Sir, I figured you were too busy to even know who Strongfork is."

Jack cracked a grin, unable to stop himself from laughing. "God, what a stupid friggin' last name."  
The man visibly relaxed, cautiously laughing along with Jack. "It is pretty stupid, Sir," He was definitely kissing Jack's ass, and that infuriated him.

"I'm sorry, Cupcake. Did I give you permission to make fun of him?"

"N-no, Sir!" The man explained quickly, paling. He fucked up.

"And, you know my 'girlfriend' you just saw? Yeah, that's who Rhys was taking care of," Jack said, his anger growing as he moved his feet off of his desk, slowly standing. It pissed him off that Rhys got to take her from him, but even more so that he was getting abused _for_ doing what Jack said. Rhys reminded him of Jack, and even though he took Adelia from him for now, he wasn't going to sit by and let him be abused for doing a job he directed him to do.

"S-sir, I apologize," The man said, falling to his knees. "Please don't kill me!"

"Kinda late for that, Cupcake," He said, pressing the cool barrel of his gun against the man's head, pulling the trigger without hesitation. He smirked, it felt good to kill someone again, especially someone who would've definitely made his life harder. Checking his ECHO clock, he requested a cleanup, walking out of his office. He had one more meeting to tend to today, and if he could get out of it without killing someone for disagreeing with him, he'd declare it a good work day.

* * *

_**Two hours after a nap... (Approx. 5:50 PM)** _

Rhys groaned, coming to in the bed. His side felt oddly cold - normally, Adelia would be lying there next to him, but the smell of garlic and herbs flooded his nostrils, making his stomach growl in protest. Looking down, he saw she was no longer next to him and, begrudgingly, he slid out of bed, making his way to the bathroom to do his business before making his way to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Adelia was humming quietly, rolling out the made fresh pasta dough she had made while Rhys was sleeping. He was still extremely tired, but his hunger won over his exhaustion. Filling up a glass of water, he smiled when she looked at him, grinning at him. "Well, good morning, sleepyhead," She teased, leaving her dough for a moment to give him a soft kiss on his jaw. She would've given him one on the cheek, but she was too short and too full of flour, and she didn't want to make a bigger mess. He blinked his eyes a couple of times, looking at the dough, curious as to what she was doing. "I'm making spaghetti and meatballs," She said, as if she read his mind, smiling at him again before she went back to rolling her dough out, cutting it into fine strips. He had never seen spaghetti and meatballs freshly made and was definitely not a cook by any means - he almost always ate fast food rather than cook on his own, so to see her apparently making everything from scratch was definitely mind-blowing, even if he did come in towards the end of it.

"I could've just ordered us something to eat," Rhys said, watching her.

"You might be used to fast food all the time, Rhysie, but I like a home-cooked meal every once in a while," She said, looking back at him with a smile. She had flour on her cheeks and some in her bangs, making her look even cuter - at least to him. "Besides, eating all that junk can't be healthy for you."

"I don't know, I'm pretty healthy," He said, smiling at her, sipping on his glass of water. He could tell she was rolling her eyes without him looking at her - that's just how she'd react - and he was right, she was rolling her eyes. Moving away from the dough she had been rolling, she moved to the medium-sized pot full of fresh, mashed tomatoes she found hiding in the back of Jack's refrigerator, various herbs and spices, and meatballs. Before she started prepping her sauce, she had made cute, perfectly rounded meatballs from some meat she had found. Her sauce had been cooking for well over an hour and her meat, a half-hour, and was almost ready, but not quite. After stirring the sauce around, she went back to her dough, continuing to roll and cut out some pasta, feeling Rhys watch her carefully. "It does smell a lot yummier than the pasta I usually get," He mumbled sleepily, underhandedly complimenting her.

She looked at him and smiled, finishing up her dough cutting, setting them aside once she was done. She needed to boil her noodles, but those should be toward the end since homemade noodles cooked much faster than the ones in bags and boxes. "It does smell very good," She said, her stomach growling in agreeance. She had forgotten how fun it was to cook, especially since Rhys didn't have more than a fridge and microwavable dinners readily available. Washing her hands under some warm water, she dried them off on a nearby washcloth she had hijacked from the bathroom. She had no idea where Jack kept his dishtowels and she wasn't personally going to venture around for them since she found the rest of the stuff she needed. Squatting down, she pulled out another pot, bringing it to the sink and fill it a little over half, setting it back on the burner. 

Rhys stayed quiet, watching her move around. He was tempted to ask if she needed help, but he knew she didn't. She was moving around gracefully and seemed to have no confusion about what she was making. He watched her put salt in the water, as well as a small dab of butter, watching her wiggle her butt around with a low chuckle. She hummed to herself, hearing his chuckle. Turning towards him, she walked over to him, slowly walking her fingers up his bare chest. "What's so funny, Mister Strongfork?" She asked teasingly, smirking as his cheeks heated up to light pink. He set his glass down on the bar, slowly caressing her sides.

"Nothing at all, Miss Adelia," He whispered to her, moving his hands under her (his) shirt, playfully groping her rear, her face heating up this time as she let out a soft moan.

"Mm... Rhysie, you can't seriously still be horny after earlier," She said, peeking up at him with a smile, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck, shivering when he slid his cold, cybernetic arm under her thighs, lifting her up for a brief moment before setting her on the bar next to them.

He moved his face closer to hers, stopping his lips just shy of touching hers. "Maybe I am," He whispered, smirking as her face heated up to a bright crimson. He really wasn't, but he loved to see her turn red for him. She smirked and he felt a shiver run up his spine. Mistakes were made.

"Well, I have to finish cooking first, but," She paused, teasingly pressing her breasts against his bare chest, her lips pressing against his sweetly, but softly, her hands tangling in his hair, holding his lips against hers as he slowly kissed her back, a low groan coming from him from the feeling of her hands tugging on his hair slightly, her knees squeezing his sides lightly. Reluctantly, she pulled her lips away from his, leaving him awestruck as she stared up at him with a flushed face, "Maybe after we eat, we can have another round," She finished, her smirk coming on her face as his brain practically short-circuited.

She was teasing him. He knew she was teasing him. But by God, he couldn't stop himself from flushing a bright crimson. His plan to tease her had failed (again) and he had been bested at his own game. "You're so cruel," He whispered to her, both of his hands cupping her thighs, drumming against her skin lightly. She giggled, sliding her hands out of his hair, leaving them resting against his chest, her grey gaze staring up at him.

"Am I? You started it," She whispered back to him, giving him a playful wink as she heard her water beginning to boil. "I have to put my pasta in," She said, patting his chest lightly.

"Do I have to move?" He whined playfully, moving his face to her neck, giving it a gentle kiss, grinning when she shuddered, her skin flooding in goosebumps. He had truly marked her, and it was very noticeable compared to his previous little nibbles, and oddly enough, he was satisfied that she was marked by him so extensively.

"Yes, you do," She begrudgingly whispered back. Feeling him being gentle after being so rough with her oddly aroused her all over again, but not to the extent where she had to stop what she was doing and tend to it. He huffed, slowly pulling himself away from her, helping her down off of the bar with ease, watching her as she picked up her noodles, shaking them loose from one another before dropping them in the boiling water. Giving it a good stir for a moment, she hummed, stirring the tomato sauce and meatballs around, giggling when she felt Rhys wrap his arms around her, pulling her close to him. 

"Smells good, Love," He whispered into her ear, smirking as her face flared a bright crimson. He knew that nickname for her got her going and he could definitely feel that, now.

"Rhys," She whined, smacking his hands slightly, biting back a smile. "That's not fair," She huffed, her body shuddering as he peppered her neck in gentle kisses, a soft moan coming from her.

"Alright, Kiddos, break it up," Jack said angrily, slamming his hand on the bar. Rhys immediately jumped away from Adelia as she blushed even darker, clearing her throat softly. She still had flour on her cheeks and in her hair, but she was more embarrassed that Jack definitely heard her moan - or so she thought.

And she was right, Jack most certainly heard her moan, and it both aroused and pissed him off. He wanted to be the want to make her moan for once, not the code monkey. "S-sorry, Jack," Rhys said, scratching the back of his head, taking his seat on a stool, staying quiet. Even though Jack swore he wouldn't hurt Rhys for the sake of Adelia, he still felt threatened by Jack, and honestly, that was friggin' hilarious to Jack.

Adelia cleared her throat, staying quiet as she moved back to her cutting board, picking it up carefully, dumping the leftover flour in the trash before setting it into the sink, shaking her hands lightly. She was a very neat cook and honestly took pride in that. She felt both Jack and Rhys's eyes burning into her as she quietly washed the cutting board and rolling pin - up until now, she had been cleaning as she went, but Rhys had distracted her before she could finish cleaning. Jack wanted to confirm that he had, in fact, seen hickeys all over her neck in the holocall, but she was doing a good job hiding them. "Dinner smells good, Pumpkin," He finally said, sitting down on the stool across from Rhys, his gaze flickering to Rhys, who visibly stiffened, running his left index finger along the ring of his half-empty glass of water.

"Thank you," She said, not looking at him as she set the dished in the other side of the sink, grabbing her washcloth to dry her hands, hearing Jack chuckle in response, Rhys glancing over at him curiously.

"So, you found everything but the friggin' dish towels?" Jack asked, grinning in amusement. 

"You have too many cabinets. Once I found what I needed, I just grabbed a washcloth from the bathroom. It was easier," She stated, hearing both Rhys and Jack chuckle at the same time. They both oddly found that amusing, and adorable. 

"Uhuh," Jack said, keeping his amused smirk on his face for a moment longer before he moved to get up. "Well, I'm going shower, feel free to join me," He teased, seeing Adelia stiffen slightly, knowing he made her blush, just from the way she stilled her body. Smirking, he winked at Rhys, walking off to his bedroom to take a shower in his bathroom.

Once Jack was out of earshot, Rhys relaxed, letting out a soft groan. "It's going to take a while for us to get used to him," He mumbled, resting his forehead softly against the cool bar. He was exhausted, but he definitely didn't trust Jack alone with her after last time.

"I don't think it'll take long," She said, looking at him with a soft smile. He groaned loudly, turning his face away from her. He didn't want to think about what the Wraith had told him prior to the marking ordeal, but his mind still flashed back to it. The Wraith had told him that she will have to mark Jack in order to stay in Pandora sooner or later, and if she kept using her powers so recklessly, it would definitely be sooner.

The Wraith also gave him the luxury of explaining that she could absorb power through sexual encounters, as long as her hands were touching the markings directly, which definitely didn't help matters any, but it did suddenly dawn on him why he was probably so exhausted. "Addy," He said, sitting up correctly, staring at her.

"Rhysie," She said back, looking at him curiously, bringing her glass of water to her mouth, taking a small sip.

"Did you absorb power from me when we were... y'know," He said, his cheeks flaring a bright crimson, her own face turning crimson at his words as she choked on her water, coughing a couple of times.

"You couldn't think to ask me that earlier?" She said, pointing towards the hall. She really didn't want to talk about her sex life with Jack so close.

"I went to bed soon after we cleaned up," He responded, watching her rub her face lightly, trying to cool it off before she moved to her pasta, picking the pot up by its handles with a couple of potholders, carefully draining it, ensuring none of the pasta fell out since she didn't know where Jack's strainer was. "I just woke up like thirty minutes ago, Addy."

"... I guess I did," She finally admitted sheepishly. She really couldn't remember, but she wouldn't have doubted it. She knew she wasn't supposed to, but he definitely had her on cloud nine entirely, so if she did touch his marks, it was an accident. "I tried to go around them, but it's very possible I touched them without realizing. It would explain why I feel so much better," She mumbled the last part, thinking to herself as she turned the fire off of her gravy, setting the drained pasta back on an off burner. 

Meanwhile, around the corner and down the hall, Jack was listening closely to their conversation, waiting before he turned on the water. He had left his bedroom door open to hear them in case they discussed this, mostly because he was really curious about her sudden mood change.

"Addy, you know you're not supposed to do that for a few days," Rhys chastised her, Jack chuckling quietly. He just knew she rolled her eyes at his words, but to his surprise, she stayed quiet for a moment. She didn't roll her eyes, but instead, stayed still, chewing on her bottom lip.

"I know," She finally said, turning to look at him. "I didn't do it on purpose," She said softly. walking over to him, her hands softly cupping his cheeks.

"Maybe I'll just have to hold you down next time," Rhys whispered to her, Jack clenching his fists angrily. That should be him, not the stupid friggin' code monkey. Turning his shower on, he closed the bathroom door, gripping the handle roughly, attempting to calm himself. He could no longer hear them, nor did he want to.

Adelia and Rhys nearly jumped at the slamming of the door, both of them sharing a similar look. "Maybe he was listening?" Adelia said softly, feeling mildly guilty. It was clear that he did hold sexual feelings toward her, and she knew deep down that she was going to have to mark him again, even if she didn't want to. There just wasn't anyone else who could take her mark besides Rhys and Jack, and Rhys was a surprise on his own. 

"Who cares?" Rhys said, rolling his eyes. It bothered him that she seemed to care about his feelings, especially after what happened. She shivered, feeling his jealousy rising, a soft gasp coming from her as he slid his hands under her (his) shirt, his hands grasping her ass roughly.

"Rhys..." She said worriedly, cupping his cheeks again. She hated the way his jealousy made her feel.  
"Addy," He said back, pulling her closer to him, his cool, cybernetic hand sliding under her panties, smirking as she shivered from the cool touch against her lower cheeks, snapping her thoughts completely away from Jack. He wanted her undivided attention, and she felt that.

"Rhysie, stop," She whispered, squirming her hips lightly. She was still slightly aroused from his little kisses earlier, and this certainly wasn't helping. She knew her libido would be higher when it came to Rhys, but she didn't expect it to be like this so soon. "I haven't even eaten yet, and neither have you," She chastised him this time, giggling when he rolled his eyes. She was _definitely_ rubbing off on him. Gripping his arm, she pushed on it lightly, and begrudgingly, he complied, sliding it out from under her panties.

"Adelia, be my girlfriend," He said suddenly, catching her completely off guard. 

"Rhys-"  
"We already are technically together, I know, but I really needed to ask you," He explained, his cheeks flushing a bright pink.

She stayed quiet, her grey eyes staying on his brown ones as a small smile came to her lips. "Alright," She whispered, his face lighting up like a child on Christmas.

"Really?" He asked excitedly, his hands sliding out from under her shirt, both of his hands cupping her cheeks, tilting her head up towards his as he stood up, taking her lips with his sweetly once she nodded. She shivered from the love in his kiss, returning his sweet kiss with a soft, but sweet one of her own. She knew if she kissed him back as roughly as he did, it would definitely lead to something, and she really was hungry. And she knew he was really hungry since both of their stomachs interrupted their kiss, both of them laughing. "I guess I'm pretty hungry, too," He said, smiling down at her.

"But Rhys... What about when I need to have another marked person?" She said softly, breaking her gaze away from him. His smile fell. She had a point, and he was definitely a jealous person, but he knew deep down it wasn't her fault. 

"We'll cross that bridge when it comes," He whispered to her, running his left thumb across her warm skin slowly, seeing her shift her eyes back up to him.

"I think we need to talk about it sooner rather than later, though," She protested, her cheeks flushing a light pink at his soft affection. He couldn't help but smile at her blush, he still made her blush so easily, it reminded him of the first time she blushed from him, but he couldn't get lost in thought. His stomach had other thoughts.

"Let's eat dinner, then we'll see how we feel about talking about it," He sighed, giving into her. He knew he wasn't going to win an argument with her and he wasn't even going to try - he had learned that the first day they met.

"Once Jack gets out the shower, we'll all eat together," She said, seeing his smile drop. "It's only fair, Rhysie. He's letting us stay in his house and I used his food to cook with. Don't you agree?"  
"I guess," He mumbled. He didn't dislike the idea, but he also wanted to be the first one to taste her cooking. As if she read his mind, she stepped out of his arms, his eyebrows arching upward as she grabbed a small spoon, scooping a small amount of gravy on it. She glanced at him over her shoulder, beckoning him to come to her with her finger, sticking her tongue out at him, which he happily obliged with a soft chuckle. 

"Say 'ahh'," She joked, smiling when he opened his mouth. Carefully, she put the spoon in his mouth, her eyes watching his face, twinkling in delight as she heard the happy sound he made.

"Holy shit," He whispered, pulling the spoon out of his mouth. "I can see why you like homecooked meals now," He said, both of them moving back to a stool under the bar, waiting for Jack to come up the hall. They heard his shower shut off, and neither one wanted to hear his smart remarks right now.

"Language, Kiddo," Jack said, rounding the corner. Much to Rhys's displeasure and Adelia's indifference, Jack often paraded around his home shirtless, just as he was now. It really didn't bother Adelia, mostly because it was technically his house, but also, she was used to seeing her kind walking around mostly naked anyways, plus, the only differences between Rhys and Jack were Jack was slightly more muscle and definitely more hairy than Rhys, but that was mostly because Rhys 'didn't like how his chest felt when it was hairy and sweaty'. However, unlike Rhys, Jack wore his pajama bottles low on his hips, whereas Rhys wore them more in the middle. "Well, let's friggin' eat, I'm starving," Jack said, moving to one of the cabinets above the sink, pulling down three bowls, looking back at Adelia, winking at her as he tugged down a dishtowel, as well, his eyes watching as she covered her neck with her shirt, pissing him off all over again.

"How was I supposed to reach that?" She said, rolling her eyes, Rhys chuckling behind her. She was definitely too short to reach the cabinets above the sink unless she climbed on the counter, and Rhys knew she probably wasn't going to do that - she was too big of a neat freak.

"Climb on the counters," Jack responded, matter-of-factly, setting two of the bowls down before he moved over to the pasta, arching a brow at its strange color. "What's wrong with this pasta?"

"She made it from scratch," Rhys answered from her, Jack turning to look at her, watching as she nodded her head in confirmation.

"Well I'll be damned, you're just full of surprises, Pumpkin," He said, showing off his canines to her in a toothy smile, her cheeks flushing a light pink at his passive, offhanded compliment. Or at least, she thought it was a compliment. He actually was quite impressed - most women these days chose to not cook, so it had been a while since he had a homecooked meal he hadn't prepared, and quite frankly, he was excited to taste it. She was so excited to make it earlier, he could only imagine how much effort she put into it. Putting a couple of scoops of noodles into his bowl, he moved to the sauce, covering the noodles with the meatballs and tomato sauce, taking an over-exaggerated sniff. He was going to make Rhys jealous and make her blush, mostly because he didn't appreciate Rhys holding her like that in his kitchen, but it was also friggin' hilarious to see him pout. "Smells delicious, _kitten_ ," He said her pet name with a little extra oomph behind it, smirking as Rhys shot daggers at him as she rolled her eyes, but her cheeks still flushed a light pink at his compliment, so it was worth it in his eyes.

Rhys patiently waited for Adelia to grab her bowl, both men watching her fix a small serving before she moved to sit across from Jack, again, to Rhys's displeasure, but she was sitting there before. "That's all you're eating?" Rhys asked, picking up his bowl, fixing himself a considerable serving just as Jack had done. His eyes locked onto the numerous bruises on her neck, mildly curious what kind of animal Rhys was in bed to leave that many on her skin - it was damn near all bruises with little skin. Hearing Rhys's words, he broke his bi-colored gaze from her neck, looking down at the pitiful serving she had made for herself.

"Yeah, Pumpkin, that's not a lot," Jack finally piped in, Rhys secretly thankful Jack actually took his side for once. "You should fix yourself more."

"This is all I need to eat," She said, rolling her eyes at the two of them. "Rhys, you know I don't eat a lot."

Rhys stayed quiet as Jack shifted his gaze to him, hoping that he'd say otherwise, but to Jack's dismay, he didn't say anything. "Pumpkin, that's not healthy to eat that little," Jack said, slowly taking a bite of his spaghetti, loudly moaning. "Holy fuck, this shit is friggin' delicious," He said with a mouthful, his eyes wide as he stared at her, amazed. He had never had noodles taste so good, but he always used the processed ones, not freshly made ones. She blushed under his stare, beaming proudly as Rhys audibly agreed, taking a bite of his own. Both of them soon forgot all about her small portion as she stayed quiet about it, eating quietly, giggling when Jack or Rhys let out a 'So good' compliment to her. She really felt like they were just boosting her ego, but she'd take the compliments either way.

Slowly, she ate her own, small serving. Back before she went into the Vault, she was used to cooking large amounts and eating very little so all the villagers could get food as well. She had learned how to survive off of a small serving, though, apparently to Jack and Rhys, it wasn't enough. Finishing before the two of them, she dabbed at her mouth with a napkin, Jack's gaze watching her, mid-bite. Slowly, he lowered his forkful. Rhys was so engrossed in his meal, he hadn't even noticed. "Pumpkin, you need to eat more," Jack said, staring at her, biting back a smirk as she squirmed under his stare. She rolled her eyes, feeling Rhys's attention shifting to her, as well.

"You do need to eat more," Rhys finally said, a small amount of tomato on the corner of his lips, making Jack roll his eyes at how sloppy he was eating. Setting his nearly empty bowl down, Jack was slightly amazed at how fast the code monkey could eat, but not that impressed. "Your stomach always growls while you sleep."  
Her face flared a bright crimson at his words, quickly hiding it in her hands as he and Jack chuckled quietly. She was getting tag-teamed and she didn't like it in the slightest bit. "I'm not hungry," She mumbled through her hands, Jack and Rhys looking at each other briefly. They didn't believe it for a second, she had maybe five bites of food and that was it. There was no way she couldn't be hungry, especially since they knew she hadn't eaten all day.

"I'm sure we all know how much bullshit that is," Jack said, going back to eating his food, his gaze watching her. Just because she refused to eat, doesn't mean he was going to, plus it was so _good._

After finishing his food along with Rhys, they both stared at her. She had put her hand back on the bar, drumming her fingers lightly against the marble top, resting her head against her right hand. Jack had so many questions to ask her, but he knew she wouldn't answer them with Rhys nearby, so he opted to wait until Rhys went to bed or when he went into work in the morning, then it dawned on him. He was without a security supervisor and Rhys had been warned not to irritate his wounds. "Rhysie," Jack said, his gaze shifting from her as she stood up, collecting all three bowls and bringing them to the sink, washing them quietly.

"Yeah?" Rhys responded, his eyes burning into her back. He was worried about how little she ate, but even with both of them tag-teaming her, she didn't falter. 

"You have to go to work tomorrow."

"How? I'm not supposed to put anything on this," He said, pointing to his arm. "Plus, full offense, but I don't trust her with you," He said coldly, Jack smirking as she scoffed at the sink.

"Jack played no part in what happened," She piped up, shaking the excess water off her hands before drying them with her washcloth, drying the bowls soon after with the dishtowel Jack had taken down for her. "That was my own fault and I'm the one to blame." Rhys stayed quiet, as did Jack. Neither one expected her to take up for Jack, especially against Rhys, yet here they were, staring at her with both their mouths open. "You can wrap them in loose bandages so your clothes don't stick to them and irritate them. I can wrap them before you get dressed in the morning," She continued, Rhys's face turning into a scowl while Jack's face turned into a cocky grin. He didn't like how she was defending Jack's reasoning and definitely planned to ask her later, but given the small visions of the future he had seen in the Vault while being marked, he knew Jack was going to play a large picture in their lives sooner or later, even after he moved to Promethea to start working on Atlas, but he definitely didn't like it.

"Addy-" He started, Jack rolling his eyes.

"Listen, Kiddo. I _need_ you to go in. You have to get the department _you now run_ in order since I took care of your other boss. Once Henderson friggin' comes back, we can start discussing Atlas," Jack stated, Rhys shutting his mouth. He knew Jack had a point. Jack did promote him and he took a half-day today before even slightly organizing anything, and since Mister Smith was gone, it all fell on him.

"Jack is right, Rhysie," Adelia piped in finally, Jack smirking at her taking his side. Again. She didn't want him to go into work, but she knew if he stayed, things would definitely lead to being intimate. At least with Jack, she knew he would stop, but with Rhys, she knew that he barely had any control over himself - he had shown her that earlier. It wasn't his fault, of course, the mark did play a big part in it since he could feel how she felt, but, she knew she'd accidentally feed off of him again if things escalated, plus, she barely snapped him out of his trance to begin with. What if she couldn't the next time? He'd be doing more harm to her than good, and she could easily drain too much and hurt him. Rhys felt a chill run up his spine, feeling her emotions of distress and worry and let out a loud sigh.

"Fine," He finally said, looking at Adelia's guilty face. "Then, I'm going back to bed," He announced, standing up, and making his way back to the bedroom. He was furious. He just wanted to stay back and make sure Adelia would be okay for the next few days, but even more so, the thought of Jack watching her sleep, or even cuddling her bothered him, and he knew he would, given that she can't sleep unless she's cuddled these days. Closing the door to their bedroom quietly, he sunk to the floor, resting his back against the door. So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours that he could barely wrap his mind around it.

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, Adelia was digging through the cabinets for some storage containers, Jack watching her with a smirk on his face. To his surprise, she had cleaned up his kitchen well, the only thing still messy in it was her. He had noticed the flour on her face and in her hair the second he walked in, but he couldn't wipe it off with Rhysie in there with them, and he still wouldn't. He'd wait until she was caught off guard so he could see her blush for him. "You could just tell me where they are," She said in annoyance, moving onto another cabinet. Half of them were completely empty, the other half mostly holding pots or dishes, but no containers.

"Oh, but Cupcake, where would the fun in that be?" He questioned, chuckling when she turned her head, shooting him a vicious glare. "They're in the top cabinets somewhere," He said, giving her a hint as he sipped on his beer he had grabbed when Rhys stormed off. She had started to go after him, but Jack told her not to, saying she had to put the leftover dinner up first, but in reality, he just felt like Rhys needed some time to think alone. He could be an asshole, but he could be a nice asshole, sometimes.

"That helps me very little," She said, rolling her eyes. She could barely reach the top cabinets, and knowing Jack, he'd have placed them on the top shelf, and she wasn't about to put her feet up on the counter. Jack smirked, laughing behind her, his heterochromatic gaze watching her closely. Standing on her tiptoes, she opened one of the cabinets, feeling his gaze burn into her.

"Why not just climb onto the counter, Kitten?"

"Because that's disgusting. Feet where you prepare food? Blasphemy," She said with complete seriousness, shooting daggers at Jack again when he laughed. He didn't think she'd be a clean freak, but he couldn't say he didn't see it coming. She was more proper than most females were, plus, she did have the kitchen near spotless, aside from the two pots on the stove.

She closed that door, moving onto the next one, hearing Jack shuffle to a standing position. "Here, let me help you, Kitten," He said, pressing her against the cabinet, leaning over her as he grabbed two containers, bringing them down. She couldn't help but turn bright crimson at him pinning her against the counter, clearing her throat as she quickly cooled off to a dusted, light pink on her cheeks. Jack smirked, knowing that he could make her blush like that definitely gave him high hopes, setting the containers down in front of here.

"You're horrible," She mumbled.

"You're not the first one to tell me that," He said, chuckling lowly, grabbing the washcloth she had been using on her hands before he moved away from her. When she turned around, he pushed her against the counter again, his left hand cupping her chin, tilting her head upward, his smirk only growing as her face flared a bright crimson again.

"Jack-" She stared, feeling his finger press against her lips. He wanted to kiss her, feel her soft lips against his, but he knew he couldn't, not without her permission. Moving his right hand up, he lightly dabbed at the flour on her cheeks and forehead, even wiping it carefully out of her hair, being unusually gentle by her standards. 

"That's been bothering me all friggin' night," He said, smirking down at her still-crimson face. Moving his face closer to hers, his breath was warm (and reeked of alcohol) against her face, "What's with the red face, Kitten? Did you want me to kiss you?" He asked softly, smirking at her as she stayed still for a moment, her ears turning crimson to match her face, his smirk only growing as he moved his face closer to hers. She hadn't technically said no, and she hadn't pushed him away. Suddenly, he felt a sting in his face as she huffed loudly, pushing on his chest. "So spicy," He whispered, licking the small bit of blood running out of his mouth slowly, his eyes watching her as she squirmed out from between him and the counter, her face slowly turning into a normal shade.

"You're so-"

"Handsome? I know, baby," He said, cutting her off.

"Annoying," She said to him, rolling her eyes as she started to carefully put the gravy in one container, making sure not to spill any.

"Handsomely annoying, I'll take it," He shot back at her, earning himself another eye roll as she began putting the leftover pasta in the other container, her stomach growling in protest. "You're clearly still hungry, Cupcake. Just eat some more."

"I'm not hungry," She protested, closing both containers with ease, staring at him with her grey gaze, her face now calmed down. 

"Your stomach seems to think otherwise," He argued, moving closer to her, staring down at her, but not pinning her against the counter this time. "Clearly, you need to eat more," He said, gripping her chin again with his hand, rolling his eyes when she scoffed, pushing away from him and making her way to the fridge, opening it and placing the leftovers neatly on a shelf. She was definitely a challenge for him, but that was alright - he liked challenges. They made the win so much more satisfying.

"My stomach will be fine," She retorted back, moving back to the sink with her two pots, making quick work of washing them until they were spotless. Jack stayed quiet, watching her clean with very little effort, running his tongue along his top teeth slowly, his eyes definitely checking out her ass, despite it being hidden in the large red - shirt? Dress? He wasn't sure. It still clung to her curves, definitely showing off her assets, her boyshorts showing occasionally when she lifted her arms up. Her bust was hugged tightly in the shirt, despite the collar of it hanging off one of her shoulders almost all the time. He still was furious about the hockey, but there was nothing he could really do about it except tease her about it, and he planned to. 

"So, Pumpkin. It looks like Rhys had a friggin' great time with your neck," He said, moving back to the bar, picking up his beer and finishing it off in one swing. He smirked when her body stilled, tensing for a moment, her cheeks flushing a light pink. He was mildly disappointed, he wanted her to turn redder for him, but he could still keep trying.

She smirked at his teasing, knowing that Jack was just as jealous of Rhys as Rhys was him, so she placed the last bowl back in the top cabinet, turning to look at him. "If you think my neck is bad, you should see my chest," She said simply, walking past him and out of the kitchen, smirking to herself when he couldn't see her face. The face he made was definitely worth it - the awestruck expression with the gaping mouth. It amused her. 

Sitting down on the couch, she pulled her legs up, grabbing her ECHO off the coffee table, turning it on as Jack rounded the couch, staring at her with a smirk. He was going to get revenge on her, and she knew he was going to say something smartass-y before he did. "Maybe I do want to see your chest," He finally said, her cheeks immediately flushing a bright crimson. She had braced herself for his remark, but it still caught her off guard, and it certainly didn't help that she was still mildly aroused from Rhys groping her earlier. Much to her dismay, Jack's smirk grew into a cocky grin as he sat down next to her, yanking her legs into his lap, causing her to squeak and fall back on the couch, her ECHO landing on the floor as she stared up at him, her face turning even redder, if possible, as he climbed over her, pinning her arms down with his calloused hands, a soft gasp escaping her. "I'll get you to kiss me one day, Kitten," He promised in a hushed whisper, slowly licking his lips. He was having fun teasing her, even if it was arousing him.

Oddly enough, she was aroused by this sudden shift in dominance. Her shirt had ridden up her stomach, revealing her black boyshorts and part of her stomach, her hands pinned down above her head, with a very desperate Jack above her. To her, it was quite ironic, considering how in all the years she watched him from the Vault, she had never seen him so desperate for someone - except his daughter. She felt horrible for knowing how he held her body, crying and screaming for her to come back to him. Despite his tough act, she knew he was broken inside, and maybe that's what ultimately drew her to him. Seeing her frown, he slowly moved his hands down her arms. He was curious about what she was thinking about, but more than anything, he wanted to friggin' kiss her. Make love to her or whatever. But he knew he shouldn't. But he found himself moving his face closer to hers, unable to stop himself as she squirmed beneath him. "Jack, wait-" She started. She didn't want to kiss him. She had Rhys. She turned her head as he lowered his lips against her skin. They were rough, but soft, at the same time, a shiver running through her slightly. She could still feel the power of his mark still coursing through him, weak as it may be. She hadn't noticed it before, but now that she was close to him, in complete silence, she could feel it. She offhandedly thought that maybe, because Jack went into the Vault with her and Rhys and even touched her when she was on the Eridium pedestal if that enhanced her senses to it, but she didn't know for sure.

"Just let me have this, Pumpkin," He whispered into her ear, his smooth voice making her body shudder, his breath warm against her skin as he pressed his lips softly against her jawline. She struggled against him again, she didn't want him to do this; she was already aroused from Rhys, and she did have a track record of losing her senses to lust when she was pushed to the edge. She shuddered again, feeling his lips kissing down the side of her neck, a soft, whimpering moan coming from her as he neared the middle of her neck, and God, did that turn him on. He wanted to hear her moan for him more. 

"Jack, stop," She said, biting her lip when she felt him bite down above one of the marks Rhys had left on her, closing her eyes as she held in her moan. She was getting more aroused, and as much as she didn't want to do this, she also did, and she felt horrible for it, but the power of her mark still coursing through him drew her to him. He wanted to mark her, more than anything else in the world at that moment, but he knew if he did, he'd be crossing a line he probably wouldn't be able to come back from. He began to kiss up her neck again, taking his time again, feeling himself slowly growing erect as another soft moan escaped her when his lips pressed in the middle of her neck. He made a mental note to definitely remember that spot, and although he wanted to keep going, he hesitantly pulled away from her, his eyes catching a glimpse of her red face, her eyes slightly hazy with lust as she stared up at him, her lips, slightly parted, as if she were begging for him to kiss her. And he definitely wouldn't be wrong for thinking that, she did want him to kiss her, but she knew she shouldn't. She felt horrible for feeling this way and even odder, her mind went directly to Rhys, which made her feel even worse. And, apparently, her face gave her away. Instead of kissing her, he pulled away from her completely, clearing his throat as he turned on his ECHO watch. He didn't say anything to her, not even when she stood up, grabbing her ECHO off of the floor, quickly scurrying off to her room. She needed Rhys.

Jack watched her scurry down the hallway, rubbing his face with both of his hands, a low groan coming from him. He could've kissed her, hell, probably even took her where she was, but he knew she would've regretted it, and he was Handsome God Damn Jack. He had to get his shit together. There was no reason why he was getting so frustrated over a woman when he could have anyone he wanted. But he didn't want just anyone, he wanted her.

* * *

_**AN: Smut, again.** _

Rhys was sitting up in the bed, reviewing what he had missed throughout the day. He knew fully aware Jack was turning on Adelia, and he was furious, but also extremely jealous. He knew it was bound to happen eventually, Jack had explicitly commented on how attracted he was to her several times, he just hoped Adelia wouldn't fall for it. He had tried to sleep, but the sudden feelings from Adelia woke him up.

"Rhys," Adelia said softly, coming into the room with a flushed face. He could feel she was aroused, but he wasn't. How could he be aroused knowing Jack turned her on?

"Addy," He said, giving her a small smile. He was honestly happy she hadn't gone further with him, given the fact that she always lost her senses when they were intimate, but aroused? Still no.

He watched her set the ECHO device down on the entertainment center, turning his hologram off, moving his hand down as he watched her climb into the bed and on top of him. He looked up at her curiously when she cupped his cheeks, feeling her arousal full force now that she was touching him. "You turned me on earlier and left me alone with him," She huffed, squishing his cheeks softly. Hearing that she had been turned on by _him_ instead of Jack made him feel ten times as happy, a low chuckle coming from him as he slowly ran his hands up the outside of her thighs, smiling when her body shuddered from his touch.

"And, let me guess," Rhys said, his hands still edging up her thighs, stopping when they hit her boyshorts, his fingers drumming against the fabric slowly, taunting her. "He teased you more, and you got even more aroused, and your first thought was to come to me?" He said. He knew he was wrong, she probably thought about going further with Jack.

"Close," She whispered, her eyes staying on his gaze. "I did have the thought for him to kiss me, but my mind went directly to you instead," She continued, his heart pounding in his ears. He honestly didn't expect to be right, so to hear he was mostly right definitely made him happy, despite the kiss part, but even that part made him giddy inside. To know she thought so little of Jack - especially at that moment - that her mind went straight to him was definitely nothing to ignore. "Rhys?" She asked softly, staring at him concerned. Did she do something wrong?

"Take these off," He demanded in a hushed whisper, his eyes staring at her lustfully as his blue eye powered off, revealing the brown color behind it that she loved oh so very much, his hands tugging on her boyshorts lightly. She felt her cheeks flush a dark red at his demand, it was uncommon for him to be so demanding about this, but given how he acted earlier today... She wouldn't complain. She moved off of him, keeping her back to him as she wiggled her hips, slowly sliding them down. He licked his lips, watching her wiggle her rear for him. He wanted to take her against the wall right that second, but he knew he shouldn't; he had to make sure she couldn't touch him, for his own good. Once she had them below her knees, she bent over, pushing him even more. He reached out, grabbing her ass roughly with his left hand, his right, metal hand wrapping around her hips, pulling her back onto his lap, a soft chuckle coming from him when she squeaked. "Such a good girl," He purred to her, smirking when her face turned a bright crimson.

Taking his lips with hers in a hungry kiss, she slid her hands into his hair, slowly moving her hips against him in a rocking motion, grinding against him through his pajama bottoms, letting out little, hushed moans against his lips, feeling him grow erect against her. She needed him to know how bad she needed him at that moment, her hips moving faster as he ran his tongue along her bottom lip, her mouth opening to him, submitting to him as their tongues wrestled in a messy kiss. Pulling away from her, she whined softly, staring at him with those lustful eyes he could never resist. "Patience, Love," He whispered, knowing that phrase always got her going even more - and he was right, she whined again, her legs quivering against his in excitement for what was to come. Those words alone made her shake in anticipation, she knew he was going to please her - he always said them before he did. "Lay back," He whispered, kissing her jawline softly soon after his words. She happily obliged, moving off of him to lay down. She watched with excited eyes, licking her lips slowly as he pulled his pants and boxers down, his right hand moving between the lips of her delicate flower, a sharp, shocked moan coming from her at the cold sensation against such a sensitive area, but she wasn't objecting. He moved his metal index finger against her clit slowly, taunting a few moans out of her, her hips moving with his finger. She was absolutely delectable to him at that moment, and he wanted nothing more to take her where she was, but he knew he had to wait for a few moments longer.

Moving his left hand up, he gripped the bottom of her (his) shirt, lifting it up and over her head, but stopping before he slid it past her elbows, getting a puzzled look from her. "You can't touch me," He whispered, the realization taking her down a slight notch. She understood what he meant - she did have a habit of gripping him -, so she nodded in understanding. Smiling, he moved his metal hand away from her sensitive button, chuckling at her whine as he tangled her arms up, making sure her hands were trapped in his shirt. He could hold her down, but he wanted to touch her this time. He didn't get the luxury to appreciate touching her much last time - he was far too busy marking her. Leaning over her, he let his erection press between her wet, lower lips, smirking as she let out a soft whine, her hips moving against him, grinding against his length, earning himself a soft groan while she let out a shuddering moan as well, her eyes staring up at him in need.

"Rhysie, please," She pleaded softly, her face staying a bright red as she tugged at the vice she had. She longed to touch him, but she understood why she couldn't. She had absorbed some power from him earlier and she knew he couldn't handle it twice in one day, especially when he wasn't completely healed from the marking yet.

Moving his face close to hers, he stopped just hairs from her lips, his breath warm against her lips. "Is this what you want?" He asked her, referring back to the first time they nearly kissed, moving his hips just right, pressing his tip against her entrance, but not penetrating her, despite his want to.

"Y-yes," She moaned out, wiggling her hips slightly. She wanted, no, she needed him inside of her, and her wet, delicate flower testified to that. "Please, Rhys," She begged again, staring at him with her red face, her freckles standing out against her red cheeks. Rhys taunted her further, though, despite her pleading, his cybernetic hand caressing down her right side, her body shivering from his cool touch. He was making sure to appreciate her this time, _especially_ if it meant she'd beg for him. Gripping her thigh, he pulled her closer to him, burying himself deep inside of her to his hilt, a moan coming from him while she tilted her head back, her legs twitching against him as she moaned his name out loudly, her hands clenching her shirt tightly. Resting his left hand against the bed, he slowly began rocking his hips, moaning with her, a slight groan coming from him when she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer to her, her lower half tilting upward, causing him to hit her innermost wall once again. She closed her eyes, biting her bottom lip as she dug her nails into her hands through her shirt, switching his weight to his cybernetic arm, using his left hand to grasp her right breast roughly, lowering his face down to her left breast, slowly sliding his tongue out, flickering it over her rosy bud, chuckling when she arched her back slightly, her breasts pushing into his hand.

Gradually, he began picking up his pace and aggression, his hips rocking into her, shaking her body beneath him as she squeezed his slides lightly, a soft groan coming from him again, mixed in with their shared moans. His were quieter than hers, more focusing on pleasing her than he was to give in to the pleasure - mostly because he didn't want to mark her as severely again, and he knew he probably would if he gave in fully. Hearing her gasp out his name, he smirked, kissing up her chest softly, making sure to kiss every mark with a soft kiss, feeling her shudder beneath his lips. Once he reached the base of her neck, he slowly slid his tongue out, licking up the front of her throat slowly, enjoying the shaky breath she let out, her eyes snapping open as she tugged on the shirt roughly again. She needed to touch him, she wanted to scratch at him, kiss him, and pull his hair, but she couldn't, and that visibly frustrated her. 

Chuckling lowly against her jawline, he gave it a gentle kiss, picking up his aggression even more at the cost of his speed, slamming himself against her innermost wall, each thrust making her moan loudly, tears of pleasure coming to her eyes as she closed them tightly. Moving his hand slightly, he cupped her rosy bud between his index and middle fingers, pinching it lightly as he groped her, feeling her muscles squeeze him tightly, her body shaking as she climaxed all at once, a loud, near scream of his name coming from her as her chest heaved up and down, unable to stop himself as he ejaculated with her orgasm. Normally, he could feel it coming, but she had caught him off guard this time - the loud moans of his name, the look of pure bliss on her reddened face, and the feeling of her inner walls sucking him in just overwhelmed him all at once. Panting against her neck, he slowly slid himself out of her, hearing her own ragged breaths in sync with his.

"So... aggressive," Adelia panted out, looking at him with pinkened cheeks. She wasn't wrong, he was more aggressive this time than he had been previously, but in his defense, she was more aroused than usual. Normally, he had to warm her up a bit, but not this time.

"Says the one who was begging for me," He teased, falling over next to her, looking up at her with a sleepy grin, watching her face flare up to a bright crimson.

"Careful, Rhysie... That ego doesn't look good on you," She teased back, wiggling her hands against his knot. "Can you untie me now?" She asked, looking at her.

"I think it looks amazing," He joked, laughing when she rolled her eyes. Moving his hands above her head, he untied the knot with ease, hearing her sigh in relief. "Couldn't have been that bad, Addy," He said, rolling his eyes as he sat up, pulling his pants and boxers back up before walking out the bedroom once she adjusted her shirt down. She just laid there, staring at the ceiling with sleepy eyes - she was exhausted, but she knew Rhys wouldn't let her sleep without at least cleaning her with a washcloth.

"God, could you two be any friggin' louder?" Jack said, popping his head in, causing Adelia to flare a bright crimson all over again, quickly sitting up, pulling her shirt down between her legs.

"Well, if you would soundproof the door, you wouldn't hear us," Rhys shot back at Jack, giving him a smug smirk, holding a damp washcloth in his hand.

"Aw, look at this Champ cleaning up after making a mess," He teased Rhys, "Such a gentleman. At least he knows something," He said, edging Rhys on, but getting nothing in response as Rhys just a blank stare with an arched brow.

"Is that jealousy I hear in your tone, Jack?" Rhys asked, smirking when Jack's eyebrow twitched with anger. He was right and he knew he was right. Jack brushed past Rhys, walking towards his bedroom. He was clearly disgruntled about what happened - and he was. He wanted to be the one making her moan like that, not the stupid, useless code monkey, but his day would come soon, and the comment Rhys made pissed him off even more, but he knew if he bit back, Adelia would more than likely come to Rhys's defense, similar to how she had done for him, so he decided to be the bigger man and go deal with his raging boner.

"Goodnight, Kiddo, and Pumpkin," He called back, closing the door to his room, leaving Adelia a blushing mess, and Rhys smug.

"That felt so good," Rhys said to her, closing the door behind him, laughing when she rolled her eyes. He was on a high, and she wasn't about to be the buzzkill. "Lie back down, Baby," He whispered, her cheeks flushing at his new nickname for her. 

"Baby? That's a new one," She said, complying to his demands, lying back on the bed, rubbing her face sleepily.

"What? Don't like it?" He asked, cleaning her up with the warm washcloth, teasingly pressing his index finger against her clit, rubbing it slowly with the rough fabric.

She let out a soft, surprised moan, moving her hips slowly with his finger, biting her lip. "Mm... Just didn't expect it from you," She whispered, smiling when he pulled the washcloth away from her, opening the door to toss it into the laundry basket with their clothes from earlier.

"Well, what else would you like me to call you?" He said, closing the door, happy he had made it. He was on a roll tonight, and he was practically beaming from it. She couldn't help but find it adorable as she crawled up to her pillow, sliding under the blankets with a grin.

"Whatever you want, Rhysie," She said, patting his pillow with a smile.

"C'mon, Addy, just call me 'babe' one time," He said, crawling into bed next to her, giving her the most adorable puppy eyes he could manage. "Please, Sunshine?" 

She blushed a dark red at his little nickname for her, rolling her eyes at his request. "I think I like it more when you call me 'Love'," She paused, smiling at his puppy eyes. "Babe," She finally said, his grin growing wide, his left hand reaching out, cupping her cheek softly, bringing his lips to hers in a soft, sweet kiss, which she gladly returned. "Why Sunshine, though?" 

"Because you light up my life," He said, making a cheesy grin. "Do you really not like it, though?" He asked once they broke away from each other. She stayed quiet for a moment, giving him a soft smile soon after.

"I don't mind it, but I do like hearing you call me Addy, too," She said, smiling at him.

"You'll always be my Addy," He retorted, causing her to roll her eyes with a grin on her face. He was really laying on the flattery tonight, and she was enjoying it, but she was tired. Not only was it an eventful day on Pandora, but she also cooked dinner, and had a, dare she say mindblowing orgasm. 

"Rhysie, I'm sleepy," She said, resting her head on her pillow, looking at him with sleepy eyes.

"Alright, alright," He said, sitting up slightly so he could finish the work he was working on before.

She scooted over to him, wrapping her arm around his waist, making sure not to touch his marks since she was still coming down off her high - she didn't want to drain anything from him on accident. Draping her leg over his, she nuzzled her head against his chest, closing her eyes as she let out a soft yawn, relaxing against him. "Don't stay up too late, Rhysie," She mumbled, quickly dozing off into a light sleep.

He smiled down at her, holding his cybernetic hand out again, pulling back up his emails as his eye turned back on. Making somewhat quick work of everything he missed, he finally scooted himself down roughly an hour later, feeling her grip on him tighten as she whimpered quietly. Slowly, he turned to face her, wrapping his arms around her tightly, pulling her close to him as he closed his eyes, feeling her relax against him again.

And for once in what felt like a long time, they both slept without dealing with nightmares.


	14. Chapter 14

_**The next morning... (5:50 AM)** _

Rhys was freshly out the shower, his towel hugging his hips as he ventured back into their bedroom. Jack was still asleep in his room, as far as he knew anyway, and Adelia was half-asleep, cuddling his pillow. Hearing the door open, she groaned softly, looking at him with sleepy eyes.

"I know," He said, basically reading her mind. She was tired and sore from last night and definitely wasn't in the mood to get up yet. He sat down on the bed, softly rubbing her head, chuckling when she let out a happy sigh, closing her eyes again briefly.

"I know, I have to wrap your marks," She mumbled, keeping her eyes shut, hearing him chuckle again.

"Yes, you do, but that can wait until I get dressed and finish styling my hair," He whispered to her, leaning down to give the side of her forehead a gentle kiss. She opened her eyes, looking at his damp hair, smiling at him. She had seen him with his hair down several times, but it never really bothered her. It was long enough to reach his eyebrows, and definitely long enough to cover the top of his ears. She thought he was cute like that, but she liked it even more when he had his hair pushed back in the neat way he always put it.

She hummed happily when he kissed her cheek, squeezing his pillow lightly as she stretched her back slightly, letting out a soft moan of pleasure as her spine cracked. Watching him as he stood up, he went over to their closet, digging for a different pair of dress pants than the ones he normally wore. Instead of having one leg striped, they were plain black. Grabbing a pair of grey boxers she barely saw him wear, she arched a brow, surprised he's not wearing one of his more colorful ones. "No colorful ones today, Rhysie?" She asked sleepily, smiling at him as his cheeks flushed a light pink. It was no secret that he liked colorful boxers and even more colorful socks, but she assumed he really just didn't feel like wearing those today.

"I feel like matching today," He finally said, shooting her a small grin over his shoulder. She blinked her sleepy eyes - she was definitely wearing off on him now, even if it was mild. "Plus, this is chaos. I couldn't find something if I wanted to," He said, referring to the giant box of his boxers. She covered her mouth, snickering at his distress, she definitely thought different from what he said. Instead of wearing off on him, he actually just didn't feel like hunting through the box. Grabbing his usual belt, he slid his towel off from around his waist, her grey eyes watching his back flex as he bent down, pulling his boxers on, before pulling his pants up soon after. He may not look buff to someone, but he did have a good bit of muscle. Maybe not as much as Jack, but he could definitely stand his ground if he was taught how.

Standing up, he slid on his belt through the loops, buckling it, grabbing a black shirt, followed by a light grey vest, setting them on the bed as he left the room again. Adelia groaned, slowly sitting up, wincing slightly as she put pressure on her lower half. He definitely made her more sore than usual, but she couldn't complain. It was nice, and she'd definitely have no regrets to do it again, and her bright crimson cheeks could attest to her enjoyment about it. Snapping her gaze to the door as he walked back in, she smiled at him. She knew her hair was probably wild since she had forgotten to adjust it when they fell asleep, and at some point during the night, it fell down, but she was too sleepy to worry about getting up to fix it, however, the gaze he gave her was so soft and warm. Loving, even, and that made her turn even redder. He walked over to her, holding his hand out to her, which she happily took, smiling as he helped her stood up. She squeaked when he picked her up suddenly, his cybernetic arm quickly wrapping under her thighs, holding her up while his left hand wrapped around her back, holding her close to him. "Rhysie," She said sleepily, nuzzling her face lightly into his neck. "It's too early for you to be slinging me around."

He chuckled when she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him with a smile plastered on her face. "Your grin says otherwise, Baby," He whispered to her, goosebumps flooding across her skin at his new nickname for her. She rolled her eyes, kissing the side of his neck gently before she leaned back, moving her hands to his cheeks. He smiled up at her, meeting her halfway in a sweet, loving kiss, groaning when she slid her hands into his hair, gripping it softly. He just finished styling it, and she already had it messed up, but he wasn't going to complain - he could always fix it again. Slowly, he lowered her legs back down, breaking his lips from hers with reluctance - he really wanted to stay with her all day, but he knew he couldn't. She slowly slid her hands down, running her hands over his chest slowly. His mark had turned blue overnight, and she was glad for that, but she could still see the Eridium pulsating beneath the surface. "It looks like a tattoo," She said, smiling up at him. He looked down at his arm, actually looking at the mark this time.

"Huh, I guess it does," He mumbled. He hadn't really looked at it since it happened, but now that he was looking at it, he was mildly surprised that it did look like a tattoo. "Should be easier to mask with a tattoo then," He said, smiling at her.

She nodded slowly, she didn't want him to cover his mark up, but she knew it would raise too much suspicion if he didn't, and she knew, somewhere out there, there was someone born into a family that would actively be ready to take her head if they found out what she was.

She grabbed the bandage off of the bed, carefully unwrapping it a bit, staring at him. "I think I'll have to go from your wrist up, then connect across your chest from your other shoulder," She said aloud, her cheeks blushing a light pink shade as he raised a brow at her.

"You could just wrap it across my chest. It'd probably be more comfortable," He suggested, smiling as she thought quietly to herself.

"I could, but it might make you itchy."  
"Itchy is better than a lot of pressure on my neck," He responded, smiling when she did.

"Alright, I'll do it like that then," She said, softly gripping his wrist softly. He couldn't help but adore how soft her grip was on him - she could be rough if she wanted, but every time she's touched him, she had been gentle. Well, except intimate times, but that was understandable. He stayed quiet, his brown gaze watching her as she loosely wrapped the bandages around his arm, making sure they weren't too tight, carefully ripping it from the roll when she reached his shoulder, folding the end under the. She tucked the loose end underneath one of the layers, softly running her hand across his bandages. "You should only have to wrap them for a couple of days," She said, peeking up at him with her grey eyes, meeting his brown one.

"At least today is Friday so I can relax tomorrow and Sunday," He said, wrapping his cybernetic arm around her waist, pulling her against him with a grin. 

"Rhysie, you're gonna be late if you keep distracting me," She said, rolling her eyes as his grin grew. "But, at least you should be able to go back to work Monday without any issues."

"Maybe I want to be late," He whispered down at her, sliding his hand down and under her (his) shirt, grasping her rear roughly in the cool, metal hand, making her shiver, a soft moan escaping her.

"Mm... As fun as that sounds, I'm pretty sore from last night, Babe," She whispered to him, his eyes twinkling in delight at her using his nickname. After a few seconds, his grin fell, realizing what she meant.

"Oh. _Oh._ " He said, the realization hitting him, his face twisting into a smirk. Oddly enough, that excited him to know. "Well, maybe next time, don't beg so much," He taunted, laughing when she rolled her eyes.

"Please, you love it when I beg," She teased back, both of their faces heating up to a light pink at each other's teasing. 

"Okay, true, but-"  
"No buts," She said, pushing on his metal arm softly. "I need to finish wrapping your marks, Rhysie," She whined softly, looking up at him with puppy eyes that honestly made his heart jump out of his chest. He had never seen her use them before, so to see her do it surprised him.

"Alright, alright," He said, chuckling as she smiled up at him, slowly moving his hand away from her. She slowly unwrapped more of the bandage again, holding it against his skin, carefully wrapping it across his chest, as he had wanted it to be. Once she had it wrapped across, she brought the bandage up to his shoulder where she had wrapped it previously, standing on her tiptoes every time she had to grab it, which was very amusing to him. He often forgot how tiny she was, given her fiery attitude almost all the time, especially around Jack. Once she finished, she ripped the bandage off of the roll, tucking it under a layer on his chest again, smiling up at him.

"There, all done," She whispered, running her hands up his chest, slowly wrapping her arms around her chest. He chuckled, sliding his metal arm under her thighs, picking her up again. "I don't think I said to pick me up, Rhysie," she teased, sticking her tongue out at him playfully.

He rolled his eyes, laughing as he laid her back down across the bed, pinning her underneath him with his arms on both sides of her, lowering his face close to hers as her legs twitched against his sides, a soft groan coming from him. "Addy, I'm just laying you back down before I go," He whispered to her, seeing her red cheeks. 

"How thoughtful of you," She whispered back at him, slowly sliding her hands into his hair, pulling his head close to hers, giving him a soft kiss, which he happily returned.

"I don't wanna go to work," He whined softly once they broke the kiss, her hands softly caressing along his arms, being mindful of his bandages.

"I know, Rhysie, but I'll be okay," She said, smiling up at him. "Plus, when you get home tonight, we'll watch a movie."

"I like how that sounds," He responded, grinning. He loved to watch movies, he just didn't get a chance to once he started working full-time with Hyperion. Slowly, she moved her hands off of his arms, watching as he stood back up, moving to grip his shirt. Pulling it over his head, he carefully slid his arm through the sleeves, being mindful of his bandages, before he pulled on his vest, buttoning it up quietly. Fixing the collar of his shirt, he went back to the closet, pulling out a black, dress jacket, a little yellow handkerchief sticking out of the breast pocket. She arched a brow at his attire, slowly crawling over to his side of the bed, sticking her butt up in the air as she reached down, grabbing her boyshorts. He froze midway through putting his arm through his sleeve, staring directly at her bare ass.

"I can feel you burning holes into me again, Rhysie," She said, crawling back onto the bed fully, meeting his lustful gaze with a playful grin.

"U-uh, well, maybe you shouldn't put your ass in the air," He retorted, his face heating up a bright crimson as he finished sliding his jacket on, fixing his hair in the back again.

She rolled her eyes, carefully sliding her boyshorts on, feeling his eyes watching her as she lifted her hips, pulling them up completely. "Then, what's with the continued stare?" She asked, resting her sore lower half against the bed again, a playful smirk on her face.

"Maybe I just think you're beautiful," He mumbled out, his mouth working faster than his brain. He immediately cleared his throat, his face heating up even darker if that were possible while hers flushed a dark red, a smile on her face.

"Well, I think you're handsome yourself," She responded with sincerity, slowly getting to her feet, walking over to him. She adjusted his collar lightly, before pulling him down, standing on her tiptoes to meet him halfway as she pressed her lips softly to his in a very brief, shared kiss. "Have a good day at work, Babe," She said with a smile, smoothing out his vest. "Don't worry about waking up Jack, I'm awake now," She continued, grinning when his face lit up even more. He didn't want to wake up Jack. It bothered him that Jack would've cuddled her, not to mention what happened last night. He knew he had to share her eventually, but right now, she was _his,_ and he planned to keep it that way for as long as possible.

He beamed at his nickname again, giving her forehead a gentle kiss. "I'll see you tonight," He said with a childlike grin, the happiness radiating off of him as he walked out their bedroom and to the fast travel station, heading off to work.

Adelia sat down on the bed with a sigh, staring up at the ceiling. She was already bored without him, and she couldn't sneak away. Jack would hunt her down if she did runoff, and Rhys wouldn't be far behind. She hummed softly, closing her eyes for a moment, thinking about what she could do. She could play on her ECHO, make breakfast - which her stomach happily growled about -, organize the closet better, shower, or go back to sleep. 

"Well, you're up early, Pumpkin," Jack said, his voice smooth and sleepy as he spoke, leaning against the doorframe, his heterochromatic eyes staring at her. "I'm surprised your little code monkey didn't wake me up, but I guess I see why now."

Adelia let out a loud sigh, opening her eyes before she turned her head towards him. His hair was a mess and his Hyperion yellow pants hung low on his hips as always. His eyes held slight bags underneath them, showing he was still in the process of waking up. "I told him not to wake you," She said, standing up, fixing her shirt. Since he was awake now, she figured she'd just make breakfast - she was hungry anyway. 

"I wouldn't have minded, Kitten," He said, staring at her with a grin. Normally, she was more or less put together, but to see her like this aroused him. Her hair was poking up a bit everywhere, her neck was still lightly bruised from Rhys, but it was nowhere near as noticeable, her shirt was hanging off her left shoulder, exposing her freckles there. Her eyes were tired, but her face didn't scream that she was tired.

"I know _you_ wouldn't have," She retorted, rolling her eyes as she brushed past him and walked down the hall. He turned, walking behind her, letting out a loud, obnoxious yawn. "You're annoying," She said, rolling her eyes again as he chuckled, rubbing his chin slightly. He had some stubble on his face he needed to shave, but he'd get to that later.

"Annoyingly Handsome," He said, his eyes watching her moved around the kitchen, looking in the refrigerator for something. "Dinner and now breakfast? Are you sure you're not friggin' marrying me?" He teased, smirking when her ears turned red. They were barely peeking out of her hair, but they were definitely there.

"Who said I was cooking you some?"

"C'mon, Cupcake, we both know that you don't eat much. You'll probably make a bunch, wait for me to take my serving, then take maybe four friggin' mouthfuls."

She stayed quiet. He was right, she never did eat much. Closing the refrigerator door, she turned to look at him, his brow arched in curiosity while a smirk played on his lips. Slowly, she walked over to the bread, grabbing a slice of it from the bag, making sure to close it securely, before dropping said piece in the toaster, toasting it to a nice, golden brown color. Once it popped back up, she picked it up from the toaster, taking a bite of it while shifting her gaze to him. "Make your own breakfast. This is plenty enough for me," She said, smirking as his grin fell, his eyes watching her in doubt as she nibbled on her bread. Surely she wasn't serious. One piece of bread was her breakfast?

To his dismay, she was completely serious. Once she finished her piece of toast, she washed her hands, drying them off on the dishtowel before walking down the hall, leaving Jack standing there flabbergasted. Rhys did tell him she barely ate, but he didn't fully believe that - he just figured she didn't feel hungry after the exciting day they had yesterday. "Pumpkin," He called out, marching down the hallway, seeing her carrying a handful of clothes. She stopped, sighing loudly as she turned to look at him. "You need to eat more than that. No wonder you're so friggin' weak!" He exclaimed, gripping her arm roughly, dragging her back to the kitchen, despite her protests.

"I just want to shower," She said in exasperation, throwing her hand up in frustration when he released her.

"Not until you eat at least two more friggin' pieces of toast," He said, staring her down with a cold stare. She shivered under his stare, feeling the dominance coming off of him. She knew she wasn't going to win against him this time, the glint in his eyes told her that much.

"Fine," She said, turning her back to him. "Make breakfast and I'll eat a little, but I'm going shower first." He let out a loud groan of annoyance, rubbing his face with both of his hands, debating on chaining her to the stool until she ate, but he knew he'd set back some of the progress he made on her last night.

"Fine, Pumpkin. But if I don't see your friggin' butt in here in thirty minutes, I'm marking into that bathroom and forcibly carrying you in here," He said, staring at her as she turned around to look at him with a 'what the fuck' face. 

"Define your thirty members, because I vaguely remember you saying you'd give me a 'few minutes' to recover at the Gala and you were right next to me not even two minutes later."

He stayed quiet, smirking at her. She did have a point, and that always aroused him about her. She knew how to argue with him without pushing him over the edge or kissing up to him when she did push him over that edge. That fiery mouth of hers being disobedient to him made him want to show her what happens when someone disobeys Handsome Jack, but he wasn't a man to do something without consent. She scoffed, rolling her eyes after he didn't answer with more than a cocky grin, walking off to the bathroom.

* * *

Jack's definition of thirty minutes came and went as he tapped his foot impatiently, watching the steam come off of the breakfast he made for her - a piece of toast and two scrambled eggs. Not a lot like he had made himself - bacon, eggs, and two pieces of toast - because he knew she was probably going to leave some left on her plate anyway. Deciding that she was taking too long, he stood up, walking to the bathroom and shoving the door open, seeing her wrapped up in a towel, staring at him with wide eyes, mid-process of putting her hair up. 

"Jack, get out!" She exclaimed, shoving on him, her face red as he just stared down at her. The towel clung to her wet body as a few drops of water dripped from her hair, running down her fair skin. 

"Thirty minutes are up, Pumpkin," He finally said, breaking his gaze off of her curvaceous body, wrapping his right arm around her waist while his left arm slid under her thighs, lifting her up with ease. To his surprise, she weighed a lot less than he had expected without clothes on. Rhys really wore thick clothes for that to be such a noticeable difference between yesterday and today.

"Put me down! I'm not even dressed!" She said, shoving against his face as he rolled his eyes, growing annoyed with her.

"I told you thirty minutes or I'd haul you out myself."  
"It's been like twenty minutes!" She retorted back, grunting when he plopped her down on the stool, shooting daggers at him with her grey eyes, much to his amusement.

"Eat," He demanded, pointing at her food before he made his way around the bar, sitting down across from her, his green and blue gaze staying locked on her. Although she was mostly naked, he kept his eyes on her face, mostly because he was concerned for her lack of food intake, but also because if he looked any further down, he'd have to deal with a problem he'd have to deal with.

She rolled her eyes, letting out an annoyed groan as she flushed a light pink under his stare. To her, it looked like he was staring at her chest, but really, he wasn't, though she definitely couldn't tell. Picking up the fork, she poked at her scrambled eggs, squinting at him. "Did you throw sedatives in this?" She questioned, picking the fork up to exam it closely.

"Oh my God, do you take me for a friggin' animal?" He asked, picking up his own fork and reaching over, picking up a small bite of the eggs off her plate, eating it without hesitation. She stared at him watching him chew and swallow his bite with squinted eyes. She didn't have any reason to not trust him, but she was still wary after what happened with Hugo around people she didn't fully trust - though Jack was easily earning her trust, and quickly at that. "There. See? No sedative or poison."

She kept her gaze on him as she slowly took a bite of the eggs, amazed at how fluffy their texture was. They held a delicious flavor, but she couldn't show it to him - unfortunately, her face lighting up with delight told him all he needed to know. Chuckling, he shifted his gaze down to his own plate, not commenting on it since he wanted her to eat first. To him, it was a victory for her to eat, both of them staying quiet while they ate. She wanted to go get dressed, but she knew Jack wasn't going to let her up until she finished at least half of what he fixed her. As she finished off her eggs, she picked up a piece of lightly buttered toast, nibbling on it quietly, her gaze shifting over to him as he stared down at his plate, deep in thought while he ate. To him, it was odd for someone to not eat a normal amount of food, and he couldn't help but wonder how she was still moving around the way she did eating so little.

"I'm full," She finally said, breaking him out of his thoughts. He glanced up at her plate, seeing just a half piece of toast left, smirking. At least he got her to eat a decent amount. He'd let her get off with not eating all of it this time.

"Good girl," He purred at her, his smirk only growing as her face heated up even more. There was something about being complimented like that that made her happy, but she'd never vocally admit to it - but she didn't need to, her eyes twinkling and her face darkening told him how much she felt about it. Finishing up his last piece of toast, he picked up her plate and his, dropping the half piece of toast in the garbage as he heard her quickly walk away, probably to get dressed since he forcibly hauled her out.

Washing the dishes quickly, he made his way to his couch, plopping down on it with a groan, rubbing his face slowly. He needed to go in today, but he didn't want to leave her alone. Then again, he could bring her with him... _No. Too dangerous._ He thought to himself, staring at the coffee table. Had she not had that vision, he wouldn't have worried. He was Handsome God Damn Jack, after all. He could handle anyone who came after her, but, if she ventured off like he knew she would, he wouldn't be able to keep up with her. But that thought alone stopped him in his tracks. Why was he thinking about this? Normally, he'd just do what he wanted without thinking about it, but ever since she came into the picture and his mark had vanished, he felt himself slowly going back to the Jack he used to be. Suddenly, he stood up quickly. He hadn't looked in the mirror closely in the last 24 hours, but he needed to know. Storming past the bathroom she was in as she started to walk out with a full laundry hamper, now fully dressed in red, mid-thigh length shorts and a red, v-neck shirt with two black stripes running down each side of it on the edge of her breasts, he made his way to his bathroom while she stood there, blinking her eyes slowly before bringing the laundry into the living room, trying to figure out where the laundry room was.

As the light flickered on, Jack looked into the mirror, bringing his face close to the mirror, looking for the small mark that had been left when it originally disappeared, but it wasn't there. Looking down at his body, he noticed that he was about a few dozen scars less than normal. She had healed his old scars when she had healed him. He stared at his body, blinking his eyes a few times. Not only had she given him full vision back in his green eye, she healed the giant scar that plagued his beautiful face, and now, she's healed nearly all the scars on his body - plus a few of his wrinkles that had formed from his mask being held up by the clips on his face, which were also no longer there, but he was aware of that. Weirdly enough, that pissed him off. She had put herself in a bind to heal him that much - some of those scars were years old. Not only that, but the place on his lip she had busted was also completely gone, not even a slight trace of it.

Storming out of the bathroom, he gripped her by the scruff of her shirt, pinning her against the wall as he towered over her, her grey eyes staring up at him in fear. "Jack?" She asked in a soft, startled voice. 

"Did you heal me to the extent that most of my scars went away?" He asked through clenched teeth, keeping her pinned there, his hand moving to her chin, forcing her to look at him when she turned her head away from him in shame. She did. She knew she did. She didn't do it on purpose, but he probably wouldn't understand that.

"... Yes," She finally said, shifting her gaze off of him, feeling his grip on her chin tense, his whole body stiffening as the anger flooded his body.

"Why?" He asked moments later, his heterochromatic gaze burning into her face.

"Most of them were from the visions of the future I gave you," She said softly, shifting her gaze back to him. "I didn't mean to heal so many at once, I just couldn't stop when I started," She explained meekly, fidgeting against him.

He stayed quiet, processing her words slowly, keeping a firm grip on her chin, preventing her from leaving without being bruised. "So you felt bad for me?" He asked. He was furious. He didn't know why, but he was furious.

"I-"

"Actually, I don't want to hear it," He said, removing his hand from her chin and putting her back to her. He couldn't look at her right now, he was too furious. Nobody pities Handsome Jack and the look in her eyes when he gripped her, that friggin' look of fear. He didn't like it. Not from her.

"Jack-"  
"I don't want to fuckin' hear it!" He exclaimed, turning around to face her again, seeing her scared face again, pissing him off even more. He put his back to her again, clenching his fists angrily. He tensed more, feeling her soft hands press against his back, watching as she slowly walked around to the front of him.

"If you'd stop interrupting me," She started, her hand covering his mouth when he started to object. "I didn't do it on purpose. While I was healing you, I lost my hold on the control of my power. It had been a long time since I used that much of my power at once," She explained, moving her hand from his mouth, watching him as he stood there dumbstruck.

"Then, why heal me?"

"Because I was responsible," She said, turning away from him. She already had placed the laundry worker bots hands.

"How?" He questioned, his rage turning into confusion. None of this made sense to him, but she had no reason to lie to him.

"I busted your lip, Jack," She retorted, rolling her eyes as she made her way to the couch, only to stop when he firmly grasped her arm again.

"Just _what_ are you doing to me, Kitten?" He asked in a serious tone, his bi-colored gaze staying on her petite frame.

She turned to look at him, arching a brow. "What do you mean?"

"I haven't thought this friggin' clearly in years. I even showed mercy to that Katagawa scum and even to the Crimson Bandits. You did something to me. What was it?" He asked, keeping a firm grip on her.

She stayed quiet, keeping her grey gaze on him. She didn't want to explain it to him, but she knew she would have to eventually. "When Lilith shattered the artifact on your face, you were still receiving my visions. My power overpowered your logical senses so you basically lost your mind. That's why you're thinking things through more now, instead of acting on impulse as much," She explained, watching his face as he furrowed his brows. "Of course, some of that damage will never be repairable so you will still have random impulses without being able to control them, though I'm sure you'll still keep that massive ego of yours."

"C'mon, Kitten, you know you love my ego and devilishly good looks," He teased, chuckling when a small smile cracked through her blank face, a grin on his.

"You're something else, that's for sure," She said, rubbing her arm once he released it. He didn't really hurt her that bad, but he did startle her quite a bit. If anything, her chin hurt more than her arm. She turned her back to him again, sitting down on the couch, crossing one leg over the other as she picked up her ECHO, playing a game on it quietly.

Jack stayed quiet, the look of fear on her face when he handled her like that haunting his thoughts. He normally would get aroused by something like that, but given the... activities, last night, he was angry at himself for making her feel so scared. Moving next to her, she didn't even cringe, but she didn't even pay attention to him. "Hey, Pumpkin," He said, looking over at her, propping his head up on his hand. "I didn't mean to friggin' scare ya like that." She kept her eyes on her ECHO, playing on the game as she wiggled her foot slowly. She heard him but chose to ignore him. "C'mon, Cupcake. You know I wouldn't hurt you."

"Do I though?" She asked, not even looking up from her game, sighing when she lost literally three points from the high score. "You don't exactly have a clean track record, Jack," As soon as she said these words, she instantly regretted it, lowering her ECHO to stare up at him cautiously. 

He stared at her with a pained expression, turning away from her soon after. "I didn't want to hurt my Angel, I just... didn't know how to process my grief, then I just friggin' lost it and went too far. I regret it every day."

"Jack, I didn't mean it like that," She mumbled softly, her grey gaze softening.

"It just... Wasn't the same after she killed her mother," He said, rubbing his face slowly. "I still loved her... But I hated her, too. Weird how that works, isn't it?"

Adelia stayed quiet, slowly setting her ECHO down on the arm of the couch. "Jack, I didn't mean it like that," She repeated softly, reaching her right hand out to softly grip his left hand. She was terrible at comforting and he could see that, but hey, at least she was trying.

"You're not very good at comforting, are ya, Pumpkin?" He asked, biting back a smirk as her face flushed a bright crimson, moving her hand away from his only for him to catch it, holding her soft, dainty hand in his calloused, rough one.

"I never claimed to be perfect," She retorted, staring down at their hands. "I'd like to go back to my game though, Mister Handsome," She teased, wiggling her fingers. 

He smirked at her calling him that. She always got him going with that nickname of hers, and even though other people called him that, none of them rolled off someone's tongue with such grace like hers. "You have to tell me where you friggin' learned to dance like you did the other night, Pumpkin." He said, releasing her hand reluctantly. He didn't want to push her too far too fast, plus, he wanted to get to know her better since the code monkey always takes up any chance he gets to talk to her.

"I learned from my dad when I was young," She said, picking her ECHO up again, playing her game again. "He used to dance with my mother a lot before she passed away," She continued, Jack feeling a slight pang of guilt. Oddly enough, he had done that regularly with his wife before she was killed in that accident. "We used to dance every day. I started off on his feet since I was so little when she died, but as I got older, I was able to properly dance. He was a great teacher, although he could be a little harsh if I misstepped sometimes," She smiled at the last part, Jack arching a brow, curious about what she meant by 'harsh'. She peeked over at him with a smile. "I just had to redo the routine with him a few more times until I could execute it perfectly."

"Sounds like a lot of pressure," Jack said, hearing his ECHO watch beep loudly, signaling a new message.

"It wasn't that bad. It made him happy to dance, and I enjoyed it a lot, though nobody could keep up with me when it came to dancing later on. It was pretty annoying," She said, hearing Jack chuckle as he pulled up the small hologram above his watch, reading the email quietly. It wasn't anything important, just a reminder that new prototypes would be rolling out later today. "Probably why I was so picky trying to find a suitor, even though he wanted me to," She said, snapping Jack out of his trance, her eyes going back to the game on her device. 

"You never fell in love before?"  
"No, I wasn't interested," She admitted, the quiet sound effects coming from the game as she played. "I was too busy trying to teach the Sirens of my time since I was the last "original" hybrid. By the time I was ready to find a suitor, the uprising came, and, well," She shrugged her shoulders. "The uprising began and I had to go into hiding. Next thing I knew, Pandora was the shitshow it is today."  
"Ah-ah, language," He said, earning himself an eye-roll from her. He was surprised to learn all of this. As far as he knew Eridians and Sirens were separate beings, but maybe they weren't? Plus, from how she was with him... She was a completely different Siren than Lilith or Angel. "So, not even one boyfriend?" Jack asked playfully, reading the next email.

"Nah, I just wasn't interested in love after I found out how my mother died."

"How did she die?" He questioned, seeing her visibly stiffen. Maybe that question was a bit too far.

"She lived for a few years after I was born but died from..." She hesitated. She really didn't want to explain it to him yet. "...complications from birth. She was treated by several Sirens, but she just couldn't bounce back from it. They speculated that our low fertility put her under too much stress. Had we built the Vaults then, maybe she would've survived, but those didn't come until years later when I realized I could make Eridium in order to help heal Sirens."

"Wait - you can make it?" He asked, lowering his watch, turning his gaze to her.

"I made it to begin with," She responded nonchalantly, sighing when she lost just a few points from her high score again. "Eridium comes from me and my blood, just like how I made the original Rakks and Skags that you had seen in my little oasis I hid away. I was a lot stronger then, creating things were nothing to me, but after I created the Vault keys and..." She paused, staring up blankly. She didn't want to think about it, the biggest mistake she had ever made.

"And?" Jack asked, staring at her eagerly. "And, what, Pumpkin?"

"And... I killed another Siren. A human," She finally said, Jack grinning wide from what she said. Maybe they were more alike than he thought, but the regret she was showing on her face told him otherwise. "I didn't mean to. My powers were so drained and I was angry. She killed my father right in front of me. I couldn't stop myself when I started to drain her life-force. I just meant to remove her Siren powers, not kill her, but I couldn't stop. My rage and my weak state blinded me."

Jack stayed quiet. He didn't know what to say. "Is that why you need the friggin' code monkey?" He finally asked after a few minutes.

"No."  
Jack arched a brow, staring at her in confusion. "Then?"

"It's a downfall of our powers. I'm not full Eridian, therefore, I can't just waltz around and use my powers foolishly, especially after being in the Vault for so long. My powers diminish easily, especially if I don't use them actively, and, well... I was in the Vault for a few millennia. That's a long time to not use them. My body grew used to not being under strain of using them a lot. I have to start back slowly, and, honestly, it's really fucking annoying," She said, laughing a bit. "I miss being able to use them like I used to. I could use them all day without any repercussions, but now, I have to be careful or I'll be weak. The only reason Sirens started having marked ones was to help recharge their powers and express their love for their significant others." The last part pissed him off. Rhys. The stupid code monkey. Her significant other? He couldn't even begin to wrap his head around it. "Normally, that takes years before it's done. It's an irreversible thing, so even if Rhys and I end up hating each other... He'll still be marked. It's not the same as a failsafe like I had left on his wrist or like the one on your face. I can get rid of those, but once you're marked and are infused with some of my power and life essence... There's nothing that can be done to reverse it, but the death of one or the other."

Jack was furious. He purposely set the code monkey up only for it to bite him in the ass, but that was okay. He could kill him later after everything died down.

"Though, if he dies before me, it's probably only a matter of time before I die. Once an Eridian loses their marked ones, it puts a horrible strain on their body, which is why it wasn't uncommon for my kind to have multiple lovers. The more you had, the less likely you were to die if something happened to one, though, the chances of surviving were still low. But, assuming they all were strong, it could greatly increase a Siren's powers."

"So, if you mark me and I kill Rhsyie boy," Jack started, getting a sharp glare from Adelia that sent shivers down his spine. That look of malice she gave him aroused him greatly, but he wouldn't admit to it. Not yet. "Metaphorically speaking..." He added, clearing his throat. "You would suffer?"

"Yes. The pain of losing one is supposedly the worst pain we can go through. Even when Eridians had two or more marked mates, some of them still passed away. Humans are more likely to survive, though. They can still thrive even with the loss of us, though I've heard it's extremely difficult. My father did it and lived a long life, but he certainly wasn't happy once my mom passed on. He never was quite the same from what I heard from the villagers. He just kept saying there was a vast emptiness in him that could never be filled."

He stayed quiet again. He knew all too well of that emptiness. First with his wife, then again with his Angel. But he couldn't dwell on that. He had to accept the fact that if something happened to Rhys, it would result negatively from her, based on what she was saying. And that alone, infuriated him. His watch beeped again, signaling another message, breaking him out of his trance. Opening the email, he hummed softly. "Well, Pumpkin. Guess we're goin' in because I don't friggin' trust you to not run off on us," Jack said, teasing her as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh please. Even if I wanted to run off, you and Rhys would both have an army trying to find me," She teased back.

"Fair enough, Kitten," He responded, chuckling as he stood up. "I'll get dressed and we'll go." She picked her ECHO up again, starting a new game as he walked back to his room. She had no intention of running away from him, and quite frankly, she wanted to visit Rhys. Plus, Vaughn was shorter than her, so that made her feel a little better about being so short since most everyone else on Helios was taller than her.

* * *

_**On Helios... (1:00 PM)** _

Adelia walked quietly around Jack's office. She wanted to go visit Rhys but he told her not until he viewed the prototypes of the guns, saying 'there was no friggin' way he was letting her parade around without him in here, m'kay, Pumpkin?'. She looked out the window at Elpis, humming softly to herself while Jack stood toward the front of his large office, examining the Hyperion-Tediore hybrids. Tediore wasn't a company who would've willingly given up their secrets but given Jack's... negotiation skills, they didn't have much of a choice. She didn't know the full details of what happened, but she was fairly certain Jack threatened them in more ways than one and probably had someone hack into their secret files to use something against them. 

"Pumpkin," Jack called back, breaking Adelia out of her trance of Elpis. She had only been there once, and that was when she was a child. She often wanted to go back, but she never felt a need to. "I'm going to the testing area, c'mon."

"Can't I just stay here?" She said, walking to the first set of steps in his office, quietly walking down them. 

"Cupcake, you know I can't let you stay here alone," He responded, walking towards the door of his office with her huffing, quietly following behind. She knew he wouldn't let her, but she had to try regardless. Making their way down the hallway, she suddenly felt a chill run up her spine, stopping her in her tracks. Arching a brow, he stared at her. "What?"

"I swear, I thought I felt someone brush past me," She said, looking behind her.

"Well, there are a lot of people who pass through here," Jack said, patting her shoulder. "Don't be so paranoid, Pumpkin," He said with a grin.

She rolled her eyes, unable to shake the feeling of someone watching her. Jack wrapped his arm around her shoulders, leading her down the hallway. He had places to be and didn't have the free time to stand around with her, but he was mildly concerned when she turned to look back. "Jack..." She mumbled, looking up at him.

"I know what you're going to say. I'll look when I get back," He finally said. It was no secret that the Katagawas had cloaking software like he had, especially since they knew she was a Siren, but if it _was_ them, he was going to make sure they knew she was his.

She huffed, walking beside him as he led her to the testing area, the engineer in front of them babbling happily about different components on the gun that Jack really couldn't care less about - the only thing he cared about was if the gun shot easy, dealt lots of damage, had increased accuracy over time, and exploded when he threw the empty gun. Her eyes widened when the doors opened, a large room revealing itself with extremely padded walls and extremely damaged floors with several wooden targets splintered across the area. "You could at least clean it up after," She teased Jack, hearing him chuckle as the door behind them closed.

"Normally, I would, but I've been friggin' excited to test out these guns," He responded, taking the gun from the engineer. She crossed her arms over her chest, watching as the engineer quickly scurried over to a button, activating the wooden targets. Moving away from him, she stood closer to the door, rolling her eyes at his excitement. He was like a little kid in a candy store when it came to guns. As soon as one popped up, he grinned wickedly, pulling the trigger quickly, a short burst of inaccurate firing starting at first, but quickly balanced out. Once he emptied, he tossed the gun towards the target, both him and the slowly paling engineer waiting for it to explode. After a few seconds, Jack turned to look at the engineer with a look of annoyance. As he opened his mouth to speak, the gun exploded, definitely scarring the floor up more and shaking the room, landing Adelia on her ass with a slight grunt. She rolled her eyes as shards of wood flew everywhere as a result of the explosion.

"Beautiful!" He said, grinning at the engineer. "Maybe work on the accuracy a bit more."

"Yes, sir!" The engineer said, writing down the note quickly before exiting the room, Jack looking back where Adelia had been, arching a brow when he didn't see her.

"I know I'm short, but that's overkill," She said, glaring up at him, holding her hand out to him. She could get up if she wanted, but she didn't want to accidentally step on any splinters since the explosion had scattered pieces of wood everywhere. Plus, she still felt bad for earlier.

He chuckled playfully, gripping her hand and yanking her up with ease, purposely pulling her against his chest with a cocky smirk that only grew when she flushed a light pink. "It's so much more fun when I mess with you, Pumpkin," He said jokingly, sliding his arms around her, slowly caressing down her back, allowing them to slide over her rear, and, although he was tempted to give it a firm squeeze, he didn't - the sharp breath she gave him was enough for him. For now. Moving his hands even further down, he grasped the back of her thighs, lifting her with ease, chuckling when she squealed, her face a bright crimson as she gripped his shoulders, steadying herself.

"Jack, you ass," She said, rolling her eyes when he chuckled lowly again. "I can walk just fine."

"Language, Pumpkin," He responded, carrying her out of the room with ease, his hands twitching slightly against her thighs as his smirk grew, feeling her squirm against him each time he grasped her skin, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"Stop," She said, squirming when he gave taunted the back of her thighs with gentle squeezes. First last night, now this? "Put me down."

"Fine, fine," He responded, rolling his eyes as he slowly lowered her down, slowly allowing his hands to graze across her rear again, another low chuckle coming from her as she let out a soft moan, unable to stop herself.

"God, you're infuriating!" She said, smacking his chest with a huff, her face turning a bright crimson, forcing herself out of his grip.

"Oh, come on, Pumpkin. You weren't talking like that last night," He teased back, following behind her, his heterochromatic eyes moving to her ass, watching it as she walked.

She stopped, turning to look at him with a bright crimson face again. He was winning her over and he could feel it. "Excuse me, but I vividly remember you begging me to let you have that moment," She said, Jack's grin falling instantly. 

Handsome Jack didn't beg for anyone. "I didn't beg, I demanded," He shot back, her smirk growing on her face. She frustrated him and she was damn proud of it. "Handsome Jack doesn't beg for anyone or anything."

"Whatever you say, Mister Handsome," She responded, rolling her eyes. He rolled his own eyes, leading her away from his office, earning himself a confused look from her. "Where are we going?"

"You wanted to see your code monkey, didn't you?" He asked, not looking down at her. He was frustrated, and, her teasing only aroused him. That fiery mouth of hers was going to push him too far one day, and he wasn't going to be able to stop. She couldn't help but smile. Jack could be a decent guy when he wanted to and his ego didn't get in the way. She followed alongside him, humming softly to herself as they made their way to Rhys's work area, Jack stopping when he reached the door. "Here you go, Kitten. I'll be back to get you soon," He said, giving her a wink, laughing when she rolled her eyes at him.

"Yeah, yeah. Go handle your meeting and stuff," She said, smiling at him before she walked into Rhys's main office. It was mostly empty - Rhys had said most of them take their lunch around 1, 1:30 instead of 12. She stayed quiet, creeping up to the unsuspecting Rhys who was engrossed in a file cabinet. Once she reached him, she slowly snaked her arms around his waist, her hands slowly edging up his shirt, feeling his stomach lightly. He tensed, stilling his arms at the sudden touching. "Hello, Handsome," She whispered to him, giggling when he relaxed against her.

"I thought you were Vaughn. I was about to be seriously grossed out," He said, laughing with her. He closed the cabinet, turning around to face her with a grin. 

"Vaughn? Why him?" She asked, smiling up at him, slowly sliding her hands out of his shirt, fixing his shirt.

"He's been teasing me all day about us being an official couple now," He responded, rolling his eyes with a grin.

"I bet it's hilarious."

"Maybe for you, but not for me," He retorted, rolling his eyes as she laughed a bit, slowly sliding her hands up his chest, fixing his jacket. "But, why the random visit? Did something happen?" He asked, staring down at her with a worried expression, his ECHO eye shining brightly under the fluorescent lights.

"Not that I know of," She said, gripping his shoulders lightly. "Jack had to test prototypes of guns and he didn't trust me alone."

"He's getting smarter, then," Rhys said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, Rhysie. Jealousy is not a good look on you," She teased, giggling when he huffed, feeling his hands grip her waist softly. "Besides, we'll have all day tomorrow to watch movies or whatever you want to do," She reminded him, smiling when he grinned.

"That's true," He agreed, lowering his face to hers where she met him halfway in a sweet, soft kiss. "I missed you, Baby," He whispered to her, grinning when her cheeks flushed a light pink.

"I missed you, too, Babe," She responded, grinning when his grin widened. He really loved being called 'babe' by her.

"You two spent a month together, go home together, and still hang all over each other at work?" Vaughn said, causing Adelia to bust out laughing while Rhys rolled his eyes. "Bro. Nice."

"It's nice to see you again, Vaughn," She said, smiling at him as she slid her hands down Rhys's chest again, moving away from him.

"It's nice to see you again, too. You've been really giving my best bro-bro here some confidence. He barely even stutters anymore!" Vaughn exclaimed, causing Adelia to cover her mouth, stifling her laugh as Rhys let out an audible groan behind her, his face flushing a bright pink. "I mean, even got my main mans a promotion!"  
Adelia laughed a bit, looking over at Rhys with a smile, "I think he got his own promotion. I didn't do anything."

Rhys chuckled, his cheeks staying a bright pink as he reached back, scratching his head awkwardly. "Yeah, that was a, uh... funny story." He knew she had definitely helped. If Jack hadn't assigned him to watch over her, he'd probably have been fired before now. 

Vaughn's watch beeped, making him look at it as Adelia peeked up at Rhys, giving him a soft smile. "I have to run back to my department, but I'll stop by later, Bro!" Vaughn said, heading out the door in a hurry.

"Well, at least you seem to be having a good day," She said, smiling up at Rhys, who was just standing there, in thought.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I just don't understand this filing system Smith had. It's everywhere," He said, turning away from her, opening the file cabinet, exposing the full chaos. "It's not even in alphabetical order, it's just jammed in here."

She walked next to him, peeking down into the cabinet and visibly cringing. "So disorganized."

"Yeah, I know. I've spent all day trying to organize this," He said, running his mechanical hand through his slightly ruffled hair with a long sigh.

"I could help," She offered, seeing him fight back a slight smile.

"As nice as that would be, I don't think Jack would be willing to let you mess with this stuff," He said, looking down at her with a slight grin. "Plus, it's my job to deal with this now."

"I don't think Jack would mind. He's too busy with the prototypes," She said, looking into the file cabinet again. "Job or not, I think this is easily a two or three person job."

"Eh, I'll finish it up eventually," He said, smiling down at her as she stared into the cabinet. "I'm surprised Jack let you come in here with how he's been," He blurted out, his face darkening as soon as he said it.

"Well, I've been aggravating him about it all day," She said, her own cheeks flushing a light pink as she looked up at him, smiling. "I guess I annoyed him enough that he caved in." His grin only grew as the people now underneath him slowly started coming in, all of them staring at Adelia as they passed, saying soft little questions under their breaths to each other. "I guess I should go," She whispered, patting his arm lightly. "Wouldn't want to distract you too much, Mister Strongfork," She continued, giving him a wink as he beamed proudly. 

"You can stay until Jack comes to get you," He whispered back to her, cupping her hand with his left one, smiling down at him.

"I'm drawing a lot of attention, though," She responded, fidgeting slightly.

"It's okay, I'm right here," He reassured her. He knew she was insecure about receiving a lot of attention from multiple people, but she certainly couldn't parade around the hub alone, not after the vision she had. "I shouldn't let you, but you can sit in my chair," He offered, wiggling his eyebrows with her, causing her to laugh. 

"I'd rather help you organize this," She said softly, hearing the whispers about who she was still behind her, making her fidget even more. Ever since the uprising, she's just been extremely put off by crowds.

Sensing this, Rhys leaned down, wrapping his cybernetic arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him, giving her forehead a gentle kiss, a few soft 'ooooh's coming from the people behind them. "Alright, alright. You can help."

She rolled her eyes, her cheeks flushing a light pink as she grinned up at him. "Was that necessary?"  
"Completely."

* * *

_**In Jack's Office... (4:30 PM)** _

After finishing the testing of prototypes of various guns, Jack made his way to this office to check the security cameras. He knew someone was trespassing. Adelia gave it away, and he was positive it was Katagawa. Unlocking his door with his handprint, he quickly marched in, the doors closing behind him. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him as he looked around carefully, except for his mask. On his desk. The very mask that had been missing for months. He narrowed his eyes, cautiously approaching his desk, slowly reaching for his pistol on his thigh, "Alright, Cupcake. This was a friggin' hilarious game while it lasted, but come out, m'kay?" He said, unamused by all of this. Seeing the wall shift next to him, he shot the gun, nicking the Zer0 armor Katagawa Junior had on, revealing the smaller male to him.

"Shit! How could you see me?!" Katagawa said, holding his arm.

"I know my friggin' office, Cupcake," He said nonchalantly, keeping his gun pointed at him. "What are you doing here? Was my mercy not good enough for you?" He asked, fighting back a smirk. He longed to shoot the boy between his eyes. Or maybe toss him down the trap door. But he knew he couldn't. Not until he knew what he was here for.

"I'm here for that Siren," Katagawa said, shooting a glare at Jack. "And, I have enough force to take her," He said, smirking as several invisible Maliwan troops surrounded Jack, decloaking while a gun pressed firmly into his back.

"Aw, that's touching and all, but I think you seem to forget who you're dealing with," Jack said, smirking at Katagawa, dozens of Hyperion soldiers storming in, pointing their guns at the other male. "See, I like that friggin' Siren, and I don't plan to give her up, m'kay?" He said, snapping his fingers as the guns shifted, taking out all of the Maliwan troops, moving his own gun swiftly, taking out the troop holding a gun to his back with ease. leaving Jack covered in blood. Wiping some of the blood off of his face, he smirked, his canines showing as his eyes glinted dangerously from Elpis's light. He was pissed. More than pissed. He was _furious._ Making his way to the shaking Katagawa, he gripped the smaller boy by the scruff of his suit, lifting the limp male up with ease. 

"You're too late," Katagawa said quickly, smirking down at Jack. "Troops are already on their way to capture her."

"Aw, now that's friggin' cute. Look at you trying to be big, bad, and scary, Kiddo," Jack said, slowly pulling his pistol up, pressing it against the bottom of the young boy's chin. "But see," Jack lowered his face close to his ear. "She is a force to be reckoned with." And with that, Jack pulled the trigger, feeling the warm fluid splash over his face. Rubbing his face, he looked at his hands. Oil. It was oil. "Goddammit!" Jack said, throwing the mechanical suit down, turning and storming past the guards, making his way to Rhys's office. "Clean my office!" He barked out as he left the room.

* * *

_**Back to Rhys and Adelia... (5:50 PM)** _

Rhys and Adelia were sat on the floor, meticulously organizing the files from the file cabinet. Everyone else had left, and although Adelia made great time with organizing, there were just so many unorganized files they had to keep going back to. "How did he find anything in this mess?" She finally said, blowing air out of her mouth, her peekaboo bangs flying upward slightly as Rhys chuckled. 

"Probably why he was such an ass to me. I always needed certain files to double-check things," Rhys responded, leaning back on his hands. He yawned, gripping his desk as he stood up, needing to stretch his legs a bit - she was much shorter than he was so she could stretch out without messing as much stuff up. Plus, she was extremely focused, much to Rhys's amusement. She looked so cute when she was focusing on something.

Suddenly, Jack walked into the room, smoothing his hair back with ease. "We should get ready to go home," He said, looking at Adelia on the floor with an arched brow. He hadn't seen her up close in a while. 

"I'm not leaving until we're done," Adelia said, not even glancing up at Jack. Rhys smirked a bit, but it soon fell. Something felt off about Jack, but he couldn't quite place it, though, seeing her fiery mouth still tickled him to death.

"I don't think I asked," Jack said, moving closer to her, grasping her arm rough enough to leave a handprint, yanking her. "We're going home."

"First of all, _ow._ Second of all, you're not the fucking boss of me," She said, glaring at him, smacking his hand off of her.

"What is wrong with you?!" Rhys exclaimed, wrapping his arm around Adelia's shoulders, looking down at her slowly purpling arm, running his cool, metal hand over it.

"Alright, guess I have to force you, then," Jack said, pulling out a Maliwan colored pistol, pointing it at the two of them. "Come on, or I'll shoot your boyfriend," He said, shoving the gun at Rhys who was steadily paling.

"Addy, don't-"  
Before Rhys could finish, Adelia had Phaselocked 'Jack''s wrist, forcing the pistol out of it. "Where's the real Jack?" She asked, her markings glowing brightly. She could maintain this briefly, but not much longer. She still wasn't up to par and even this was testing her.

"You bitch!" The fake Jack said, the disguise falling, revealing a tall, black-haired man. His eyes were bi-colored and he held a temple port similar to Rhys's, but it wasn't Katagawa Junior. It was one of his lackeys. She recognized him from the Gala. He charged at them, her Phaselock failing as she grew weak again, nearly collapsing as Rhys gripped her roughly, moving her out of the way just in the nick of time.

"Are you alright?" Rhys asked, looking down at Adelia's face. She had a small drip of blood running out of her nose, but nothing major that he could see. She nodded her head, both of their attention going to the man as he snarled like an animal, reaching for another gun on his side. 

"Come with me, or I'll end your boyfriend," The man repeated, taking a step towards them, Rhys scooting of them back quickly. Adelia's tattoos glowed again as she tried to Phaselock the gun again, but failed, only managing to throw him off for a split second. Backing both of them into the corner, the man shoved the gun against Rhys's forehead, Rhys looking over at Adelia in fear. "Last chance."

Adelia looked at Rhys and reluctantly, stood up, much to Rhys's dismay. "Addy, don't," He said, grabbing her hand.

"It'll be okay," She said, smiling at him as the man gripped her long hair, slamming her head against the desk, igniting a special rage inside of Rhys. 

"Hey, man! She said she'd go!" He said, shutting up soon after once the gun was shoved into his face again, followed by a 'shut up, kid'.

Looking over at the pistol Adelia had made him drop earlier, he, glanced up at the man connecting his head port to a small device. "I have her, Sir. Leaving now." Rhys scrambled over, grabbing the pistol and pointing it at the other, only for the man to wrap his arm around Adelia's throat, holding her as a (small) human shield. "Don't be stupid, boy. This is above your paygrade." Adelia gripped the man's arm, tugging on it lightly. She could attempt to absorb his life essence to save herself and Rhys, but that would just land her weaker. Suddenly, she felt a sharp sting in her head as he smacked her with the brunt of his pistol. "Don't try anything," He hissed.

Rhys's anger spiked even more. He barely knew Hyperion's guns, much less this one, but he had to do something. Adelia looked up at him with her grey eyes, blood running down the side of her head from the double trauma she received. She was barely conscious, but she knew if she fell unconscious, that was going to be the end of it.

"Stupid fuckin' code monkey," The real Jack said, shooting his pistol with ease, the man holding Adelia going limp before falling behind her with a thud. Rhys let out an audible sigh of relief, dropping the pistol as Adelia fell to her knees, visibly shaken. Rhys scrambled over to Adelia, helping her stand again before he glanced over at Jack, seeing him covered in blood and... Oil? "Don't ask," Jack said, waving his hand as he approached the two of them, his non-bloodied hand moving her hair out of the way. "Kiddo, you're gonna have to learn how to friggin' shoot a gun," Jack said, shifting his heterochromatic gaze to Rhys, who shivered. Jack was furious, it was written all over his face. "If I had been a moment later, you would've either been dead or they would've had her long gone."

"Well, if you..." Rhys started, getting an arched brow from Jack. He had nothing. This was on him this time. "You're right," He mumbled.

"Pumpkin, you are _so_ much friggin' trouble," Jack said, gripping Adelia's chin, tilting her head toward the light, examining her wound closely. 

"I didn't do anything," She mumbled, wincing when he moved some hair out of the way, revealing a medium-sized wound on the side of her head. When he had slammed her head down, she had been cut by something on the desk. Probably the now-shattered coffee mug.

"Maybe we should take her to the doctor," Rhys finally piped in. He really didn't have a smart remark to give to Jack.

"Look at you, being smart now," Jack said, rolling his eyes as Rhys shot him a glare. Walking out of the room, he signaled for Rhys to follow.

"Can you walk?" Rhys asked softly, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Barely," She mumbled. Her head was throbbing. Without warning, she felt the cool metal slide under her thighs as he lifted her up, his left arm wrapping around her back. She smiled up at him; despite the lack of reaction from him moments ago, he did still care about her and she knew that - she could feel the worry coming off of him in the back of her mind. She knew he wasn't exactly one for violence, either, much less while being held at gunpoint, so she really couldn't be angry, unlike Jack, who was fuming anger.

"No, _I'll_ take her. You finish picking up your chaos on the floor," Jack said, holding his arms out to take Adelia. "Can't really leave Hyperion secrets on the floor, now can we?"

Rhys opened his mouth, turning to look at the chaos on the floor. It _was_ mostly done before this, and he could probably fix what was messed up, but his worry was on Adelia. "It's okay," She said, patting his chest softly. "You can come to see me after."

"Can you at least have someone clean," Rhys paused, nodding his head to the body. He didn't want to look at it. If it was anything like the psychos and bandit Jack left littered across Pandora, it would've been an even more gruesome scene in the room.

"Oh my God, you are such a friggin' baby. Yes, I'll have someone clean it up, now hand her to me, m'kay?" He said, sending a cleaning up request on his ECHO watch, holding his arms back out to Rhys as he carefully slid Adelia from his arms into Jack's. 

Rhys stayed quiet, watching Jack swiftly make his way out of the room, his heart pounding as the reality of what just happened dawned on him. He slumped down to his knees, taking a shaky breath, running his hands through his hair. 

* * *

The doctor pulled the stitch tight before snipping the knot, sighing at Jack's incessant pacing. "Sir, with all due respect, I do enjoy my floor." Adelia couldn't help but cover her mouth, stifling a laugh. Jack, on the other hand, was deep in his thought, still pacing back and forth. Doctor Samuel rolled his eyes, dabbing at Adelia's bloody nose with a tissue. "Tilt forward and pinch your nostrils lightly," He said, waiting for her to take the tissue in her hand. Once she did, he moved away, hunting through the large cabinet of various medicines behind her. Samuel was happy to see that most of Adelia's wound was mostly superficial, given how angry Jack was when he came marching in. A thorough cleaning, a few stitches, and she was ready to go, save for the annoying nose bleed. She did have a minor concussion but given her Siren powers (and Jack and Rhys watching her closely from how it seemed to him), she'd be fine in a day or two. "Here are some pain killers for your concussion," He said, handing her a small bottle of pills. "You should be fine in a couple of days, given your healing speed. Your stitches can be taken out once the wound goes away, but I'm sure you'll find some way to get them out before then," He teased, laughing when Adelia laughed with him.

"Jeez, doc. Are you trying to imply I get into trouble all the time?"  
"That's exactly what I'm implying, Miss Adelia," He said, patting her shoulder. "I've honestly never seen someone get Jack as flustered or bothered as you do. Please be more careful," He said in a hushed voice, making sure Jack couldn't hear him. "I fear what would happen if something serious happened to you."

She rolled her eyes. She highly doubted what the doctor said, but a part of her did believe that. The only time she ever felt Jack be that angry was when the Vault Hunters killed Angel. "I'll keep that in mind," She said, looking at Jack who had stopped, rubbing his chin slowly.

Feeling Adelia's grey gaze on him, he snapped his head up, looking over at her. "Ya gotta stop scaring me like that, Pumpkin," He teased as she stood up with the help of Doctor Samuel, removing the tissue off of her nose, happy to see her nose bleed had stopped.

"Hey, I didn't sign up for that," She snapped, rolling her eyes when he chuckled, taking her hand from the doctor. "I was minding my business at that time."

"She just needs rest," The doctor said, interrupting their conversation, moving towards the doorway. "She can come back in a week for a checkup if she wants, but I doubt she'll need it." And with that, the doctor left the room.

Jack let out a long chuckle, gazing down at her, cupping her chin with his non-bloodied hand, tilting her head up toward him. "So much trouble for you, and you won't even kiss me, Kitten," He whispered down at her, smirking when her cheeks flushed, her gaze breaking off of his. 

"I appreciate you looking after me, Jack," She said, keeping her gaze off of his. She knew he was teasing her, and if she made eye contact with him, he'd just persist in his teasing, like he did earlier.

"I'll get you one day, Pumpkin," He purred to her, moving his left arm down, gripping her thighs as he lifted her up, letting her back rest against his right arm. She squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck with a huff - he definitely startled her, she wasn't expecting it in the slightest.

"Oh, you're _such_ an ass!" She said, glaring daggers at him.

"Ah-ah, language," He said, smirking at her as he slowly made his way out of the hallway, Rhys coming down it, out of breath. "A bit late there, Champ," He said, glaring down at him, chuckling when she smacked his chest.

"Be nice, it's not his fault," She said, rolling her eyes at his chuckle. 

"Addy, I _told_ you not to use your powers," Rhys finally said, ignoring Jack's comment. To her dismay, Jack glared down at her, earning a stern glare from both of them.

"Well, what was I supposed to do?" She huffed quietly, staring up at the ceiling. She didn't want to see the looks they were giving her.

"Uh, you could've friggin' done anything but that," Jack said, keeping his bi-colored gaze on her.   
She sighed loudly, looking over at Rhys for back-up, only to get the same stern glare she was getting from Jack. "Can we just go home? Please." She said, rubbing her forehead in annoyance. She wasn't a child, even though she was younger than both of them and they treated her as such, and Rhys's anger only made her feel guilty.

Rhys's glare faltered as her annoyed and guilt ran up his spine, feeling her emotions so apparent in the back of his mind. He knew he shouldn't be mad like this, but he was. She knew she shouldn't use her powers right now, and she still did. But... Did she have a choice? He stayed quiet, following behind Jack, who was ranting and raving about Maliwan, but neither he nor Adelia were listening. Adelia was angry that Rhys and Jack both chastised her. She didn't overuse her powers and just got a nosebleed. Other than that and the throbbing headache from her head being slammed into the desk, then hit with a gun, she felt fine. 

Rhys, on the other hand, felt guilty now that he started to think rationally. In the end, he couldn't see any other solution but for her to have used her powers. If she hadn't bought that time, Jack might not have made it on time. Punching in the code for his house, Jack gripped Adelia roughly, snapping her out of her trance, feeling the coldness of the fast travel station dematerialize then rematerialize them in front of Jack's house. He didn't say anything this time, but rather, just carried her into the house, plopping her down on the couch before he went off to his bedroom, probably to take a shower and get the blood off of him.

Rhys quietly moved to sit next to Adelia, who sat with her arm against the arm of the chair, staring off at the television, not really saying anything. She didn't want to get chastised again, especially by Rhys.

"Addy," He started, looking at her.  
"Stop," She said, turning her head to look at him. "If you're just going to lecture me, I'd rather just go to sleep." It wasn't a complete lie. Her head was still throbbing, and the fresh stitches didn't help any at all. Closing her eyes, she stayed quiet.

He felt a wave of guilt wash over him again. "I wasn't going to lecture you," He said, running his metal thumb over his normal thumb, staring down at his hands. "I was angry you used your powers, but I know you didn't have a choice," He mumbled. She opened her eyes, glancing over at him. 

"Rhys, I knew when to stop myself," She said softly, scooting over next to him slowly, resting her head against his shoulder softly. "Phaselocking and healing are two different things," She continued, peeking up at him.

He let out a long sigh, slowly wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. He gave her forehead a gentle kiss, squeezing her slightly. "I was just worried. I shouldn't have looked at you like that. I'm sorry," He whispered to her, smiling as she grinned up at him.

"I should've explained better, I'm sorry, too," She whispered, back, patting his hand softly. "Though, in all fairness... I did drain out what little of my power I had readily available, so I can't blame you for being worried."

Rhys stayed quiet for a moment, before smirking down at her, "Then, I guess we'll just have to let you recharge, won't we?" He whispered to her seductively, goosebumps flooding across her skin at his words, her face turning a bright crimson as she stared up at him.

After a few moments, she smirked up at him, "I guess so."

**_AN: Smut warning._ **

Without any hesitation, Rhys stood up, scooping her up in his arms soon after, carrying her off to the bedroom. There was something about her that drove him insane - like an addiction; an addiction he loved - and the same could be said for her toward him. Closing the door behind him as she giggled, gripping his cheeks in her hands, bringing her lips to his in a needy kiss. Despite having been chastised like she was, she couldn't stay mad at Rhys, especially when he was just looking out for her. She shivered as he moaned against her lips, his hands grasping the back of her thighs roughly. Without warning, he tossed her back onto the bed, a squeal coming from her as she laughed, feeling the soft cushion beneath her. She leaned up on her elbows, watching him shrug his jacket off with ease, watching his arm flex slightly as he opted to just tug the vest and shirt over his head, his hands quickly undoing his belt, kicking his pants down soon after. Gripping the bottom of her shirt, she pulled it over her head and off, tossing it to the side as he quickly crawled on top of her, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss before she could strip any further. She moaned softly against his lips, shivering as his cold, metal hand slid up her stomach, caressing along her warm skin. Pulling his lips from hers, he stared down at her with his brown gaze, his cybernetic eye turning off with a soft hum as she met his gaze with her grey one, her left hand slowly moving behind his head, her fingers tangling in his groomed hair, while her right hand softly brushed against his bandages.

Feeling his cold, metal fingers slide between the hook of her bra and her skin, her cheeks flushed a light pink. He had seen her naked hundreds of times now, but she still grew flustered when he stripped her. She gazed up at him with her pinkened face, watching him slowly lick his lips, his pupils dilating as he gazed down at her body, taking in her curves. The marks he had left on her were mostly gone, save for a few that were barely visible. "Rhys..?" She asked softly, looking up at him mildly concerned. He had always stared at her, but never for this long.

Snapping his gaze up to her slightly worried face, he smiled, bringing his lips close to hers, stopping just before they touched. "You're so beautiful, Adelia," He whispered to her, her face flaring a bright crimson at his sweet words, both of their eyes closing as they met in a passionate kiss, her hands tugging at his hair lightly, earning herself a soft groan from him.

"Mm... Wait," She whispered, breaking their kiss, much to his dismay as he groaned. "We should remove your bandages."

He looked down as her hand softly ran over his bandages, her grey eyes staring at him. "Just don't take too much from me," He whispered, pressing his lips against hers in a gentle kiss, letting out an audible moan of relief as her hand tugged out the small end of the bandage, both of his bandages mostly unwrapping. She pulled them off of him slowly, smiling up at him.

"I won't. If I start to, just pin me down," She whispered back to him, getting an arched brow and bright crimson face in return from him. 

"Deal," He whispered seductively, his lips pressing softly against her jawline. She shuddered, goosebumps flooding across her skin as he moved his cold, metal hand to her breast, grasping it lightly, massaging lightly at the tender tissue. Normally, he'd be more aggressive, but, he wanted to show her how much he appreciated her, even more so if it meant she'd beg for him again. Taking her bottom lip between his teeth, he gave it a gentle tug, a sharp inhale coming from her as she slowly opened her eyes, staring at him lustfully. Kissing her jawline softly, he gradually left a soft trail of kisses down her neck and chest, kissing down her stomach until he reached her shorts, chuckling as she withered beneath him, her face staying a bright crimson.

She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of making her beg, but he was damn sure trying his best. Each kiss he left on her fair skin felt like electricity was running through her - so soft and gentle, and taunting. She bit her lip lightly, holding in her moans as his eyes stared up at her in hunger, both of his hands caressing down her body to grip her shorts, making a soft noise of approval when she lifted her hips, allowing him to pull both her shorts and panties off with ease. Setting her hips back down against the bed, she slowly slid the bra straps off of her shoulders, tossing her bra elsewhere as Rhys chuckled lowly, his eyes staring down at her once he tossed her lower clothing off somewhere in the room. Moving back down, he pressed his lips lightly to her jawbone again, positioning himself between her thighs, giving her a teasing, dry hump as she released a shuddering, soft moan, her hands gripping his wrists - which were now placed on either side of her -, gripping them lightly. 

"Rhys..." She said in a soft, lustful voice, her grey eyes hazy with lust as she gazed up at him. She could feel how bad he wanted her, and she wanted him just as badly. He groaned, feeling her hips grinding against his clothed erection, taking her lips with his in a shared, lustful kiss, feeling her legs squeezing his sides lightly. She knew that riled him up, and she did it anyway, and she always - like now -, got a soft groan from him.

"God, Addy," He whispered to her, resting his forehead lightly against hers, his brown eyes gazing down into her grey ones. "You drive me wild," He continued in a hushed whisper, smiling as a smile appeared on her lips. She loved to hear that, and, it wasn't a lie. She did drive him wild. And he did the same for her. They may have only known each other for a short time, but they definitely made each other better, and they both knew that.

She slid her hands up his arms, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck before she lightly pushed his face down to her lips again, giving him a soft, but loving kiss, unable to contain her smile when he let out a happy sigh, returning the loving kiss with one of his own. Looking up at him with a red face as he pulled away, she stared at him curiously, watching as he brought her left leg up to his mouth, giving her ankle a gentle kiss, before slowly moving up her leg, lowering himself down as he left a gentle trail of kisses up her legs, soft whimpers coming from her as she closed her eyes, enjoying how his soft lips felt against her skin. Reaching her inner thigh, he gave her soft skin a gentle bite, sucking on it lightly, leaving a soft, purple bruise on her, shuddering slightly at the sound of her soft whimper and faint moan. "A-ah... Rhys," She gasped out, staring down at him bashfully as he moved further up her thigh, giving her another soft bite. He had never put his face between her legs before, and she was oddly shy about it, even though she knew she had no reason to be. He shifted his gaze up to her face, smirking against her skin as he slowly moved his cold, cybernetic hand up, pressing his index fingers between her warm, wet, lower lips, a sharp inhale coming from her as her body shivered. He very rarely used his right hand against her delicate, little flower, but seeing her squirm excited him. 

Pressing his index finger against her little button, he slowly began to rub it slowly, the coolness making her legs twitch against him, much to his pleasure, as she shivered, soft, breathless moans coming from her as she slowly moved her hips with his finger. He hummed in satisfaction, his gaze shifting up to her flushed face, watching her squirm against him with her eyes closed, blissfully unaware of what was about to come. Moving his finger down, he softly pressed against her wet entrance, a sharp inhale escaping her, his lips softly pressing against her delicate sex. Her face flushed a bright crimson as he slowly slid his tongue out from his lips, slowly flickering over her clit, his brown gaze staring up at her, watching her as she shuddered, moaning his name out in a hushed voice, her hips wiggling slightly, much to his amusement. Her eyes snapped open as he slowly penetrated her with his cool index finger, her hands moving to his hair as he licked down her inner lips slowly. She arched her back, giving his hair a soft tug as she let out another breathless moan, her hips moving against his face slowly. She tasted as he had expected - absolutely delicious. Sweet, even - which didn't really surprise him given how much fruit she liked to eat. 

Pulling his face away from her, she let out a soft whine of protest, making him smirk as he slowly started to move his index finger in and out of her, a startled, soft moan coming from her as her hands relaxed against him. "So impatient, Baby," He whispered up at her, earning himself a flustered glare in return. He chuckled, slowly sliding his finger out of her, hearing her whine in protest.

"That's not fair..." She started, staring up at him, watching as he slid down his boxers, revealing his very erect, and throbbing, girth, a cocky smirk on his face. She smirked back up at him, "... Babe," She whispered, seeing him visibly shudder. She knew how to push his buttons, but he also knew how to poke hers. 

"Patience, Love," He quoted to her, watching her shudder this time, biting her bottom lip softly as she gazed up at him lustfully. Over the past few months, he had practically trained her to that phrase, and, judging from her quivering thighs, flushed face, and uneven breathing, she knew what was coming. Rubbing his lower head against her wet slit, he let out a soft breath, carefully lubricating himself thoroughly. Gripping her left calf lightly, he pulled her closer to him, allowing her leg to rest against his shoulder, the cool metal making her shiver slightly. Pressing his tip against her entrance, he slowly penetrated her, both of them letting out hushed moans as he buried himself inside of her, to his hilt. She gripped the sheets next to her head as he turned his head, giving her calf a soft kiss, slowly beginning to rock his hips, purposely teasing her with his slow pace. 

But that didn't last long. She lifted her hips up, when he thrust back inside of her, moaning his name as he hit her deeper than before, a moan of his own coming from her, leaving her with a satisfied smirk, her teeth taking in her bottom lip while her hands clenched the covers slightly harder. Seeing her smirk, he squinted his eyes at her, biting down on her fair skin lightly, earning himself a soft whimper, her body jolting slightly from the sudden nibble. Gradually, he picked up his speed with his hips, slowly lowering her leg down to her waist as he moved his face closer to hers, both of them keeping eye contact as breathless, soft moans came from both of them. Normally, they'd both be a moaning mess, but something was different this time. It was more passionate. More... Loving, than previous times. 

Closing their eyes, they met in a passionate kiss, only this time, it wasn't hungry or needy, it just held love behind it. Moving her hands up, she slowly tangled her fingers of her right hand in his hair, her left hand resting against his back, just shy of his mark. She knew he would let her absorb some power from him, but she wanted to enjoy this first. Her eyes fluttered open as he began to pick up an aggressive, quick pace, a low moan coming from him as he buried his face in the nook of her neck, his lips pressing gently against her skin - he wanted to mark her again, and he planned to, but not now. Feeling his aggression pick up, she squeezed his sides lightly with her knees, a few moans coming from her as she tilted her head away from his, giving him permission to mark her.

"You drive me crazy," He whispered into her ear through his pants and moans, her body shuddering at his words, moans still coming from her here and there as he kept a steady pace and force, his lips pressing against her neck again, before he took some of her skin between his teeth, giving it a firm suckle. She gripped his back, her hand in his hair tugging on it lightly, a soft gasp coming from her as she closed her eyes, - she loved being marked by him, and from how he throbbed inside of her, he loved to mark her just as much. Slowly she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him further inside of her, both of them moaning. Moving to her collarbone, his brown gaze flickered up to her once again, reddened, blissful face, his teeth grazing along her skin slowly before he took it into his mouth, giving it a firm suckle similar to the one he had given her before, leaving another mark on her, a soft whimper coming out from her. Moving to the front of her throat, he repeated his process, a soft moan coming from her this time as she tightened her grip on him with her hands, his aggression only picking up as he slid nearly his entire length out of her before slamming it back inside of her, a loud moan of his name coming from her. Repeating this process a few more times, he slowly began marking her neck similar to how he had before, closing his eyes as he felt her hand lightly touch his marks, a warm sensation coming from her touch, pulling him closer to her.

"A-ah... R-Rhys," She moaned out, feeling the same warmth coming from him as he picked up his pace, keeping the same force, shaking her entire body beneath him. Clinging to him with her legs and hands, she grasped at his back with both of her hands, her nails lightly digging at his flesh as she very quickly neared her orgasm, her neck feeling like it were on fire from all of his lovebites. Feeling him slow his pace and up his force, she couldn't hold it anymore, her nails clawing at his skin slightly as her inner muscles tightened around him, holding him close to her as she climaxed, hearing him moan as he slowly started to reach his peak with her. Feeling her body relax against him, he kept rocking his hips, pounding her roughly as he gripped her right arm, slamming it down and away from him and his markings, pinning it to the bed. Her moans were still loud, despite her recent orgasm, her eyes staring up at him hazily as he slowed his hips, slamming his entire length inside of her, pressing against her innermost wall, her pleasured scream of his name filling his ears as he was pushed over the edge, slowing his hips to a slight, steadying pumping as he ejaculated inside of her, burying his face against her neck, moaning her name against her skin.

Slowly, he pulled himself out of her, collapsing next to her as they both panted heavily, both of their skins glistening from their sweat, her neck marked even worse than before, but she didn't mind it as much this time. Turning her head to look at him, she reached over, softly cupping his cheek with her hand, smiling at him. "You know... You're like a drug to me," She whispered to him, hearing him chuckle as he slowly turned over to face her, his left hand softly cupping her cheek.

"You're the same for me," He whispered back, resting his sweaty forehead against hers. "And I'm addicted."


	15. Chapter 15

_**Four months later...** _

The past four months had gone the same as before: Intimacy at least once a day, a small recharge for her that, at first, wore Rhys out - but after a week, he had grown used to it -, regular visits to his work and continuous testing on the Hyperion-Tediore models. Pretty much everyone that worked with Rhys knew they were together by now; he definitely didn't try to keep a secret and openly flirted with her while he was at work. The Hyperion-Tediore models were coming along nicely, the only thing they were still working on was the re-materialization after throwing the empty gun, but it was nearing perfection. The only bug they were still having was the one where it rematerialized where it exploded. Oh, and, Jack continually tried to seduce her, only to get pretty much nowhere each time. There had been a few close calls, but she always managed to fight him off, much to both his amusement and dismay. He did like a challenge, after all. Rhys was aware of it, and although he had been jealous at first, he grew used to it, too. Her feelings for him were more obvious by the day, and both of them had come close to whispering out those three little, but heavy, words to each other, not to mention, he had finally accepted the fact that it was something Adelia needed to do, and after living with Jack for the past five months, he wasn't that bad of a guy. An ego-maniac, but not that bad.

In their spare time, Adelia and Jack had taught Rhys to dance, which was much more amusing to Jack than it was Adelia - Rhys was clumsy and uncoordinated to keep up with her, and hearing her chastise him while Jack watched and gave a few pointers definitely amused him on a whole new level. Rhys had also been taken under Jack's wing begrudgingly and taught how to shoot. He was a terrible aim and that only increased Jack's annoyance, so he upgraded his ECHO eye with an auto-target. The only thing that had worried them all? Maliwan's silence. Ever since the attack that day, Maliwan had been radio silent. Jack knew they were planning something, and Rhys wasn't doubting that. Adelia, on the other hand, was worried about Pandora, not really worried about herself. Her powers were slowly reaching half of her potential and she could definitely handle her own for a good while now. 

Today, though, was the day that she planned to revisit Lilith to inform them of a possible upcoming war with Maliwan. If they _were_ planning something, Pandora would be where they started their attack, and probably through the truce she had forced on Lilith and Jack. The only reason they realized this was because Katagawa gave it away at the Gala that night. If he was really in the Vault with them, which everything suggests he was - knowing she was a Siren and having Jack's mask namely -, then he knew about her forcing a truce on them. Rhys and Jack were against going to discuss with Lilith, mostly because Rhys was scared of them being the group of bandits Jack had painted them as and Jack... Well, everyone knew why he didn't want to go.

"Put your mask on," Adelia argued with Jack, Rhys leaning against the counter, watching the two of them argue. They had been arguing for _at least_ twenty minutes, both of them stubborn, but of course, it wasn't just about the mask - it was about the entire trip entirely. This was just a new one, and honestly, Rhys found it both annoying and amusing.

"Why should I cover my handsome face?" Jack shot back, glaring at her, shoving the mask back into her hands.

"Because they don't know I removed your mark. Do you really think Lilith is going to let you just waltz in unmarked? Or anyone else? They all know you were and I'm sure a lot of them don't agree with the truce, but we can't go in there guns blazing, and since you _insist_ on coming with me, you're going to have to listen to me," She said in annoyance, shoving the mask into his hands again. 

Jack had stayed quiet. She had bested him in every single argument today. "She's on a roll," Rhys finally piped in, sipping on his coffee, shifting his gaze away from Jack's heterochromatic daggers. Jack had mostly grown used to Rhys, but he still thought he was better than the code monkey. He just eased up on his abuse.

"Of course you'd stay indifferent. Stupid code monkey," Jack mumbled, storming off to his room, leaving Adelia with a satisfied grin.

"You two really argue so much," Rhys said, setting his empty mug down on the counter behind him, his brown gaze watching as she moved over to him. "It's amusing."

"I bet it is," She said, laughing with him as she softly ran her hands over his chest, smoothing out his black sweater. Rhys had started to leave his ECHO eye off more or less every time he was out of the office, mostly because they were worried Katagawa could access the files he took from his eye, even though Jack argued that his system was made by him and unhackable. "Are you sure you want to come? It might be dangerous," She whispered, her grey gaze meeting his.

"And leave you alone with him? I don't think so. That's a recipe for disaster," He said, slowly resting his hands on her hips. She hummed happily, and in agreement, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck, meeting him halfway in a loving kiss.

"Alright, kiddos, break it up," Jack said annoyed, his mask reattached to his face with stick-on clips. He didn't want to screw them back in since Adelia had been _oh so gracious_ when she was healing him and removed the scars from them. Plus, it was pretty friggin' painful to have small screws screwed into your face.

Adelia and Rhys both rolled their eyes, looking at each other for a moment before breaking apart. Rhys and Adelia were wearing thicker clothes since it was nearly the end of October now - the weather was much colder on Pandora than on Helios. Adelia was wearing a grey turtleneck with black pants and thick, black boots (even though she protested that she didn't need boots, she was outvoted). Rhys was wearing a thick, thermal blue and black striped sweater, matching pants, and black hiking boots while Jack wore his usual amount of layers - a yellow Hyperion long sleeve, followed a white coat that he normally had rolled up, and then, on top of it all, his grey jacket with a giant "H" sewn into the back of it. He was also wearing his normal, dark grey jeans, claiming he 'was warm enough with the four layers of shirts', and his regular sneakers. 

"So, we're teleporting there or?" Jack asked, adjusting the sleeve of his shirts, glancing up at Adelia.

"We can take a pod," She said, hearing a sigh of relief come from Rhys. She knew he was still worried about her using her powers, even if it was only something as minor as that. "I'd rather conserve my energy in case things turn sour."

"Then, let's go, Cupcakes."

* * *

_**In Sanctuary...**_  
Adelia hadn't bothered hiding her marks, though most of them were hidden by her clothing as she walked with Jack on one side of her and Rhys on the other. Several people were sending death glares to Jack as she hummed quietly, ignoring all the whispers. "For someone who gets nervous in crowds, this sure doesn't seem to bother you, Pumpkin," Jack finally said, shooting glares back at a few of the citizens.

"I don't care what these people think. They're not much better than bandits," She replied bluntly, Rhys quietly facepalming while Jack snorted from laughter. "I meant in terms of technology," She said, shooting a glance at Jack. "They have very limited access to any technology. I don't have to watch myself here. Plus, I've known them since they were babies. They're scared shitless of Sirens," She said, shrugging as they opened the door to the Crimson Raider's headquarters. 

"Well, look who decided to stop by," Lilith said as Brick and Mordecai looked up, both of them scowling at Jack.

Jack couldn't help but smirk, staring intimidatingly down at the two other men, causing Adelia to roll her eyes.

"Stop," She said to Jack, getting a glare from him causing Lilith to raise her brow as Rhys covered his mouth, trying not to laugh at her disciplining him like a dog.

"Well, I'll be damned. You even tamed Handsome Jack. I'm impressed, killer," She said, crossing her arms over her chest. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't tempted to put a bullet between Jack's eyes, but she knew she was outmatched by Adelia.

Jack opened his mouth, but shut up when Adelia shot him a glare that said, 'play nice, I'll deal with it'. "I wouldn't say tamed, he's just respecting my wishes for him to behave himself," She paused, glancing at Brick and Mordecai who were still glaring daggers at Jack. "I'll cut to the reason I'm here. We're fairly certain Maliwan will be declaring war soon," She announced bluntly, Rhys covering his face in embarrassment. She was less than subtle, but it at least got Mordecai and Brick to stop glaring at Jack, which he _knew_ was pissing Jack off slowly.

"What gives you that information?" Lilith asked, staring at the group of three in front of her. She knew Jack and she knew Adelia, but the boy to the right of her was a mystery.

"Maliwan launched an attack on Helios a few months ago," She said matter-of-factly, Jack scoffing quietly, earning himself a glare from her. He was purposely pushing her buttons now, especially since she had begrudgingly left a mark on him similar to Rhys's in the pod. "They're after me," She continued, adjusting her long, black hair. She really needed to get it trimmed, at the very least - it nearly touched the floor now. "I'm sure it doesn't take a genius to understand how big of a disaster that will be, considering Maliwan teams up with the twin Sirens."

Lilith stayed quiet. She had forgotten all about that. Jack had called off most of the Hyperion attacks, only leaving them in extremely badlands of the borderlands, and every time they crossed a loader bot or EXPloder, they were left alone, but they were few and far between. "What's that got to do with us?"

"Well, Kiddo, we're pretty sure they're friggin' gonna come after our truce," Jack finally said, busting open his bag of pretzels he had stowed away from the pod, crunching on them. "And - God, these pretzels _still_ suck," He said, still eating them as Rhys and Adelia both sighed in annoyance. "Anyways, we're pretty sure they'll try to turn us against one another again."

"Hold up, I have one question," Mordecai said, pointing to Rhys. "Who's this?"

"I'm-"

"A stupid code monkey," Jack said, smirking as Adelia's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, Rhys shooting him a glare. 

"He'll be the one running Atlas in another year or two. The one I told you about - Rhys Strongfork," She corrected Jack, rolling her eyes when he started laughing.

"God, that last name never friggin' gets old. So stupid."

Deciding not to indulge in Jack's ego, Lilith looked at Rhys. "So we'll be working together, from what I heard. It's nice to put a face to the name."

"Y-yeah..." Rhys said, slightly bashful. This was the woman who would've killed Jack - with the help of Vault Hunters had Adelia not intervened -, he felt like he had a reason to be nervous around her.

"Moving on," She said, sensing Rhys's uncomfortable feeling as Jack balled up the bag of pretzels he was eating. "Maliwan will be attacking Pandora directly. They were in the Vault with us when I saved Jack."  
"How is that possible?"  
"Cloaking mechanisms," Jack chirped in again.

"I thought Hyperion was the only one with that type of tech," Lilith responded, glancing at Adelia to confirm Jack's words.

"I'm afraid he's right. We're not sure how they got their hands on the cloaking mechanism and I'm not sure we ever will, but what we need to focus on is the war coming. I'm sure they'll stop at nothing to overthrow Hyperion and try to take over Sanctuary and Opportunity. This won't be good for Atlas in the near future if they _do_ take down Hyperion."

"Okay... And this is our problem too, because..." Mordecai finally piped in, staring at the petite Siren.

"Because they're already planning an attack. They have temporarily bases all around Pandora already being set up. I'm positive it's only a matter of time before they initiate an attack here."

"How can we trust you? What if you started this just for shits and giggles?" Lilith said, slamming her hands on the table. Adelia stayed still while Rhys flinched from the noise, Jack reaching for his gun, only to stop when Adelia patted his arm.

"If I wanted to betray you, I already would have," Adelia responded, growing annoyed quickly with this. "If I wanted to," She said, leaning over the table, staring Lilith in the eyes with a dangerous glint, "... I could kill you where you stand," As soon as she said that, Jack broke out with a wild smirk while Rhys shivered slightly. He had seen her furious before, but not like this - and honestly... It was weirdly arousing to him. Lilith stayed quiet as Mordecai and Brick stared at Lilith, waiting for orders. They were uneasy around Adelia, but they knew deep down that she was right, just based on the last encounter they had. "But also," She continued, standing back up. "This means the timeline has changed significantly, which means what comes next is unknown to me or anyone else. Which means, Rhys will not be coming down here alone soon, since Jack has so graciously agreed to give the deed willingly to him-"

"Agreed, or bribed?" Lilith asked, cutting Adelia off.

"Agreed," Rhys and Jack piped in, Rhys growing annoyed now. He knew why Jack didn't like Lilith now. Jack scowled at Lilith, obviously set off by her comment as well, but Adelia seemed perfectly calm.

But Adelia was definitely not calm, despite her composure. "-And I want to keep my planet from taking more abuse," She continued, trying to contain her anger in her voice. "Until Maliwan attacks, Hyperion can't initiate the war. We have to have the odds in our favor," She said, glaring at Lilith, fighting back a scowl from the comment. "I'm fairly certain Junior is working without Senior being fully aware." 

Lilith smirked, seeing the annoyance in Adelia's face from her comment. She wanted to piss her off. She needed to see the extent of her power before she could trust them, especially since she had only seen a small bit when they were in the Vault. "Why the odds in Hyperion's favor? Scared you'll lose?"

That did it. That pissed both her and Jack off, and Rhys wasn't far behind. Without hesitation, Adelia flew across the table, pinning Lilith to the wall by her throat, her markings growing brightly through her clothes as she gripped her throat, slowly choking the other Siren. She may be shorter than Lilith, but she was definitely stronger, especially since she could Phaselock her and hold her off of the ground with little to no effort. "I think you fail to realize where you stand against me," She said threateningly, her grey eyes narrowing as Jack glanced over at Brick and Mordecai who were both Phaselocked in place. Lilith grasped at Adelia's Phaselock, trying to pry it off and failing, gasping for air. "If I wanted to, I could take your powers away from you and render you completely useless. You'd have to stand by and watch everything you worked for fall apart. I'm sure even now, you feel your powers leaving you," She continued, a sadistic smirk present on her face, Rhys staring wide-eyed at Adelia's outburst. Sure, he knew she was mad, but he had never seen her like this. Jack, on the other hand, was steadily growing aroused at her change in tempo, running his tongue over the tip of his canines, chuckling lowly. "So, I suggest you stop trying to test my patience before I lose it. Am I clear?"

Lilith reluctantly nodded her head, gasping for air as Adelia dropped her, releasing her grip on Brick and Mordecai, both of them falling to the ground. It wasn't like Maya's Phaselock - it was much more powerful - and they could all tell the power difference in the room. Adelia squatted down, resting her hands on her knees as she smiled at Lilith, watching as the older Siren gasped for air, feeling weaker than before, but she was too dumbstruck to say anything. "Glad we're on the same page now. I expect this won't happen again," And with that, she stood up, putting her back to Lilith as she walked towards Jack and Rhys, Jack rubbing his chin lightly, amused and aroused at the scene that played out in front of him, while Rhys stood there dumbstruck. He was slightly terrified. But aroused. He couldn't understand why. "Oh, and since you were _so_ nice as to offend me, here's some Eridium for you. You're going to need it," She said, holding her hand out as a tiny sack of small Eridium pieces fell into her hand. She set it down on the table, glancing at Lilith with a smirk, "I expect to hear from you when Maliwan begins their attack," And with that, all three of them exited the hideout, Jack whistling as Rhys quietly walked next to her, not sure what to think.

"Damn, Kitten. I knew you had a temper, but that was way friggin' better than I expected," He said, following along her other side. "You really taught that bitch a lesson."

"I've never seen you so angry," Rhys finally said, rubbing the back of his head with his cybernetic arm, agreeing with Jack passively.

"I figured she would've gotten cocky since it had been a while since I visited her, but that was more than I expected," She said, her cheeks red as the icy wind hit her cheeks. She was no stranger to the cold, but being in the warm underground for a few millennia definitely made her skin sensitive to the cold wind. "Hopefully I didn't scare you too badly," She continued, smiling up at Rhys as they left the town of Sanctuary, making their way to the pod.

Rhys blushed a light pink from her smile and concern, slowly sliding his left hand down, gripping her right hand with his. "You didn't."

"It was pretty friggin' hot," Jack voiced in, purposely ruining their moment. Both of them rolled their eyes at his playful grin, they knew he was being serious, and, that did honestly make Adelia and Rhys both laugh.

"I do have to slightly agree with Jack. It was kinda hot," Rhys voiced in, Jack beaming proudly at the ego boost Rhys had just given him - as if he needed more.

"Really? Maybe I'll have to be like that more often," She said, winking up at him. She wouldn't and they both knew that - she honestly submissive during intimacy (which Jack was fully aware of since he had heard her begging more than once), she just held her dominance elsewhere.

"I think we're all missin' the point here," Jack interjected, opening the pod door for her and Rhys. Once they were all in, he secured the door, locking it before taking his seat next to her, leaving her in the middle of him and Rhys. "I believe I deserve a kiss for behaving," He teased, laughing when Adelia's face turned a dark red, Rhys staring at him with an unamused expression.

"We'll see," She said, playing along with him this time. She knew Rhys wasn't as jealous as he had been, and they had already had the talk about her having to mark him later. He wasn't really okay with it, but he understood and was slowly starting to accept it. He knew he'd be on Promethea more or less in the next year and it'd be too dangerous for her - at least until the Maliwan issue was resolved, and even then, he'd probably be too busy at first to tend to her power needs, and if she had to use them a lot, just him wouldn't be enough. And... he did have to admit, Jack was an egomaniac, but... he wasn't that bad. Better him than someone else, plus, when they had visited the Wraith a few days ago, it informed her that she may not have to permanently mark him since he still had bits of the artifact in him, and when he was in the Vault with her, it reactivated the Eridium in his bloodstream and body. He wouldn't need to be permanently marked again unless she wanted to. She could feed off of him just by touching him the way she touched Rhys.

Jack stared at her in amazement, already having formed an argument with her denial, and this threw him off. "Wait, really?"

"Mmhmm," She said, resting her head lightly against Rhys's shoulder, closing her eyes as she softly wrapped her fingers with his. He watched Pandora shrink as he grasped her hand lightly, fighting back a smile. He did feel a little jealous, but not as much. He had accepted that this was just how his life would be now, and he was happy about that.

Jack stayed quiet, smirking to himself as he crossed his arms over his chest. Even if she was messing with him, it just meant he was getting closer to winning her over.

* * *

_**Back on Helios...** _

"Welcome back, Sir!" The docking manager said, bowing to Handsome Jack, shooting daggers at Adelia, despite the fact that Rhys had helped her out over Jack. Just like everyone knew she was with Rhys, they also knew Jack held quite a candle to her, especially since _she was living with him._

"Refill the pod for the next departure," Jack said, waving his hand off to Rhys and Adelia as he headed off toward the testing room. He had to go check on the prototypes, but Rhys didn't have work today.

Holding her hand in his left one, he led her into the HUB. "What do you wanna do?" He asked, glancing down at her.

"Hmm... We could just go watch a movie," She responded, smiling up at him.

"That's what you always want to do, and we never get to finish them," He said, grinning down at her.

"Oh? Are you complaining?"

"Not in the slightest," He said, his cheeks flushing a dark crimson. He really wasn't, especially since it was mostly his fault every time they got into a movie. She'd actually watch it with him until he felt the need to be intimate with her... Unless she was tired, then she just fell asleep half-way through.

She giggled, her own cheeks dusting a light pink as she hummed quietly, walking along the side of him. "Well, we could practice your dancing again, or we could go watch Jack test the new guns. I'm sure he's going to call you in there for target practice later, anyways."

Rhys paled slightly at the suggestion of dancing. She was ruthless when it came to it, and it definitely made Jack laugh. She had never been violent or aggressive with him, but she did make him repeat the steps until he got it to her level of satisfaction, even if it wasn't even close to her or Jack's moves. "I think we should just watch a movie or watch Jack," He finally said, hearing her giggle again.

"Babe, you know I think it's cute when you stumble over your feet," She teased, leaning her head against his arm as they walked. "Besides, how are you going to upstage Jack at the next Gala if you don't practice?"

He stayed quiet, she had a point. The whole reason he wanted to learn was so he could dance with her without seeming like he had two left feet. He could dance with normal people, but she was definitely not normal when it came to that - she was, quite literally, like a pro dancer, and Jack was just as good at it as her. "I know, Addy, but I want to relax today," He said, smiling down at her.

"That's fine, but you'll be doing double tomorrow," She teased, sticking her tongue out at him with a playful grin. He chuckled, slowly moving his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. Aside from her outburst of anger earlier, she was a fairly laid back person. She always put him ahead of her, too - she made sure to watch how much power she took from him, didn't object when he pinned her hand down if she did push him to his limits, taught him out to dance with a firm, but caring, hand, and, even if she wasn't fully interested in the movie, she still watched it with him and tried to understand it if it was a series. Plus, she did boost up his confidence a lot - she always complimented him and even taught him how to be more confident without purposely doing so. Being around her made life so much better for him, and... He was pretty sure he was in love with her. And he needed to tell her

"Rhys?" She asked softly, stilling her feet. He had been quiet for a few minutes, deep in his thoughts. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Baby," He responded, snapping out of his thoughts, smiling down at her worried expression. Moving in front of her, he cupped her cheeks with his hands, the cold metal sending a shiver down her spine as she gazed up at him, meeting his bi-colored gaze with her grey one - normally, he'd leave his ECHO eye off, but it had been upgraded by to spot cloaking mechanisms, so he opted to just leave it on after last time. "Addy, I-"  
He paused his arm blinking, cutting off his thoughts. He knew it was Jack before he even answered. Only Jack and Henderson could call him directly from his arm, and with Henderson deciding to retire sooner rather than later, he typically didn't call Rhys on his off days. "Don't worry, just answer it," She said, softly cupping his left hand with hers, smiling up at him. He felt his heart pound in his chest; she always had so much patience for nearly everything.

He slowly pulled his cybernetic hand off of her face, opening the hologram as he answered the call, seeing Jack in the testing room. "Rhysie, Champ," He said, grinning like a child. She couldn't help but arch a brow at the grin. They must've figured out the bug in the new guns. "It's time for your training. Don't keep me waiting, Champ," He continued, ending the call soon after. Rhys sighed, looking down at Adelia.

"I can come," She said, smiling at him, seeing him visibly relax. He wanted to spend time with her, even confess his feelings for her, though he was sure she already knew - it wasn't the same as hearing him say it. "We can talk tonight when we're watching the movie."

He smiled down at her, giving her forehead a gentle kiss before he wrapped his arm around her again, leading her to the testing area.

* * *

_**That night...  
** _

_**AN: slight smutty things? but not really.** _

Adelia and Rhys had showered separately for the first time in a long while. She wanted to enjoy the hot water alone, and Rhys felt the same, especially after Jack had him run around and dodge bullets for a good two hours.

Now, Adelia had sat with her legs lying out in front of her, playing on her ECHO while Jack cooked dinner. Normally, she would, but Jack insisted on it after seeing how she reacted to Lilith. He did keep trying to get the kiss out of her, but she wasn't ready - she wanted to do it when Rhys wasn't around. He may have been working on his jealousy and accepting that it had to happen, but she still wouldn't disrespect him by doing it in front of him. Plus, she knew once she did, they'd be crossing a line they wouldn't be able to come back from. Jack hadn't exactly hidden his lust for her from her or Rhys for a few weeks now, and she knew the second she responded to it, he'd push her over the edge - he did spend the last few months touching her in various places, finding and identifying nearly every single one of her turn-on spots, and she'd be the first one to admit that she did lose her logical thinking when aroused enough, and he already came damn close more than once. Hearing a pan rattle into one of the ovens, she hummed quietly. He did say he was making meatloaf tonight, and she was more than excited to try it, mostly because Rhys described it as "a really big hamburger" when she asked what it was. 

Jack sat down on the couch next to her, taking a sip from his beer, his bi-colored gaze shifting over to her. She had wised up and no longer wore as much see-through material around him, much to his dismay, but she still wore those boyshorts that complimented her ass and thighs oh-so-very much. Speaking of those, he could see the black pair of boyshorts hugging her thighs under her Hyperion yellow shirt he had given her. It was a good bit smaller than Rhys's shirts since Jack wasn't one for overly-large clothing, but it still covered her enough, even though he was fairly certain she was only wearing it because her red shirt was in the washer. Unlike Rhys's shirts, it stopped just below the waistline of her boyshorts, and it hugged her busty breasts so nicely, even the slight outline from her nipples could be seen in the right light. It didn't hug her curves like Rhys's did, mostly because Jack was a whole other level of buff, therefore, the shirt was stretched a good bit. Never the less, he definitely enjoyed seeing her wear it, even if it were few and far between.

"I don't know how you can drink that bottled piss," She said out, nearly making him spit out his beer from laughter, but he didn't.

"Ah-ah, language," He said, grinning as she rolled her eyes. "It's an acquired taste," He continued, turning his head to face her. He had already showered and was lounging around in his bright Hyperion yellow, silk pajama pants. "You know, now that I think about it, I've never even seen you drink any alcohol."

"I don't like to," She said, keeping her eyes on her ECHO, pressing the buttons quietly to the new game Jack had been so kind as to download for her earlier. "It tastes horrible."

"You just haven't found the right kind, Pumpkin," He said, smirking as he took another sip, his eyes watching her as she sighed, losing to the game.

"You keep distracting me and I keep losing," She said, turning her head to stare at him. She had her hair pulled up into a messy bun, her grey eyes gazing at him with a slight pout.

"I can distract you more," He teased, wiggling her brows as she turned light pink, swiftly turning her face away from him, starting a new game, hearing him set the bottle down on the table in front of them. Even though she and Rhys had gotten nearly inseparable, Jack had managed to wiggle himself in the middle. It wasn't hard for him to make her blush or fluster her, especially when she knew he knew all of her turn-on spots. She did have strong feelings for Rhys that he knew would never leave, but he and Rhys also knew that she had some for Jack, too. After all, how couldn't she? He was Handsome God Damn Jack. "C'mon, Pumpkin, where's my friggin' kiss?" He said, reaching his hand over, gripping her right calf with his calloused hands. "I've been so patient."

She tensed at the feel of his hand, shooting him a glare as she let herself die. She knew he was taunting her. He found out her thighs were _definitely_ one of her spots the day Maliwan attacked them, and every time he grabbed her leg, she knew he was going to advance to her thighs. He had the biggest, shit-eating grin on his face as he moved his hand further up her leg, stopping when he reached the middle of her thigh - as she expected -, grasping her chin in his other hand, turning her head towards him. "You'll get it eventually," She said, smirking as his grin fell, feeling his grip tense slightly against her. 

"Oh, you're just so cruel, Cupcake," He said in a hushed voice, moving closer to her as she scooted slightly, her back against the arm of the couch.

"Jack..." She warned, staring up at him with her grey gaze. She knew what he was probably going to do, given that he did it quite often. She squealed as he tightened his grip on her thigh, yanking her down beneath him, proving her suspicion correct. 

"You are such a goddamn tease, Kitten," He purred to her, cupping her chin again as he hovered above her, her cheeks dusting a light pink as her grey gaze met his heterochromatic ones. She could feel him pressing between her thighs, a sharp inhale coming from her as she tensed. He was purposely pressing himself against her, which, honestly, wasn't that new to her, but it didn't help with the way he gazed down at her like a hunter ready to devour his prey. "C'mon... I've been so good," He whispered, practically begging for his kiss. 

But she wasn't going to give in. "I told you, you'll get it eventually," She repeated, keeping her gaze locked on his, her cheeks remaining a light pink. 

"Eventually isn't good enough for me, Pumpkin," He whispered, moving his face close to hers. She stiffened, jerking her chin out of his hand, hearing his low chuckle as he pressed his lips against her cheek, gradually kissing down to her jawline, giving it a harsh nibble. She couldn't help but let out a faint moan, feeling his smirk pressing against her skin. Slowly, he moved down to her neck, his lips pressing against the middle of it, his eyes watching as she bit her bottom lip, holding in her moan, her legs twitching against his sides lightly. Her neck was definitely one of her more sensitive spots, and he had found that out through several testing phases, all in the same position, and each time he did this, she grew closer and closer to being his - he could feel it.

"Jack, stop," She whispered, pushing on his chest lightly. He chuckled against her neck, giving her skin a little nibble, enjoying her sharp inhale as he gripped both of her dainty hands in one of his, holding them against his hairy chest. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't growing aroused, but she certainly wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing it. She tensed again, feeling his right hand slowly caress along her bare stomach, - since him pulling her down made her top ride up to her breasts -, daring to edge under her shirt.

"C'mon, Princess, you know you want me," He whispered seductively against her ear, her entire body betraying her as it shuddered in agreeance. She could just imagine the grin he had on his face without even looking at it. Very slowly, he inched his hand under her shirt, his fingers masterfully massaging the bottom of the soft tissues, earning himself a soft whimper from her, only feeding his ego more as she clenched his sides lightly with her legs. She could feel him growing hard against her, and she fought every instinct in her body to stop from pressing against him - and she won. For now. As he was sliding his hand up to cup her breast, he heard the bathroom door open, and begrudgingly pulled away from her, crossing one leg over the other to hide his very obvious erection. She took a deep breath, gathering herself as she slowly moved up, feeling Jack's eyes watching her as she adjusted her shirt. Her cheeks were a bright crimson as she cleared her throat quietly, looking at Rhys who sent a glare to Jack, who just chuckled lowly. 

Rhys knew Jack had nearly succeeded in seducing Adelia, and although he said he wouldn't get mad, it still bothered him that Jack would do it while he was still here. And on the day he planned to confess his feelings for her. "Addy," He said, smiling down at her. She smiled up at him, her face cooling off.

"Rhysie."

"Let's watch a movie after we eat," He said, sitting between the two of them, wrapping his arm around Adelia with a cocky smirk on his face. 

"Sounds good," She said, hear Jack mumble profanities under his breath before standing up, walking into the kitchen as the timer began to beep, signaling that dinner was done.

"I thought he'd at least respect me enough to not try that while I'm here," Rhys mumbled under his breath, looking at Adelia.

"I know, Baby. I told him to stop, he just doesn't listen," She responded in a whisper, letting out a sigh, his heart pounding at her 'Baby'. At first, it was awkward for her to call him those cute little names he adored so much, but over the course of a few months, she had adjusted. And every time they left those rosy lips of hers, they made his heart soar with happiness.

"I know, I heard you," He said, pulling her closer to him, giving her forehead a gentle kiss. She blushed a light pink, smiling to herself as Jack clattered behind them.

"Dinner's ready. Chop chop, I don't have all night to be waiting," He said, hoping he ruined their mood even though he really didn't. Both of them looked at each other before rolling their eyes, Rhys standing up before holding his hand out to her, helping her up when she placed her hand in his. Both of them made their way into the kitchen, Rhys following behind her, taking passive glances of her as she walked. He didn't like that she was wearing the shirt Jack had given her, but it definitely did look good on her, but then again, he hadn't seen her wear anything that didn't look good on her. 

After eating dinner in silence, Adelia opted to help Jack clean up, much to Rhys's displeasure, but he understood where she was coming from. Jack did prepare everything so she could at least help clean up, so he slunk off to their room to pick out a movie for them to watch. 

"Couldn't get enough of me, Cupcake?" He asked teasingly, wiggling his eyebrows at her as she laughed, mostly at the eyebrows.

"No, I just wanted to help you clean up," She said, standing at the sink, cleaning the dishes while Jack wrapped up the leftovers. "You cooked, after all. It's the least I could do."

"How sweet of you, Pumpkin."

She rolled her eyes, shaking her hands a couple of times before drying them off on the dishtowel, beginning to dry their dishes. "Jack, you need to stop when I tell you to," She said bluntly, making Jack pause what he was doing to look at her with an arched brow.

"I'm sorry, are you telling me, Handsome Goddamn Jack, what to do?" He asked, keeping his heterochromatic gaze on her.

Setting down the dry dishes, she turned to look at him, keeping a straight face as she met her gaze. "Yes, yes, I am. I know you're attracted to me, but I did tell you to stop doing that when Rhys was around."

"Well-"  
"No. When I tell you to stop, I expect you to stop."  
"But-"  
"No buts," She said stepping closer to him. "If you want that kiss, you're going to have to be a good boy and respect my wishes."

Jack stayed quiet, fuming with anger. Her fiery mouth made him want to pin her against the counter and teach her discipline for talking to him that way, but he did know when to stop before crossing a line. And doing what he wanted to do, would cross a line.

"Goodnight," She said, moving away from him.

"Wait," He finally said, gripping her arm lightly. "I have to go in early as balls tomorrow, so make sure you have the code monkey take you with him when he goes in."

She looked at him, patting his hand softly. "I will. Goodnight, Jack."

"Goodnight, Kitten," He responded, letting go of her arm, his eyes watching her leave. He was furious. Not just at her, but at Rhys, and at himself. He's the reason why she ended up with Rhys, and he's definitely been pushing his luck the last few days especially. He almost had her tonight. He could feel how close he was. That look on her face, the haziness in those damn gorgeous, grey eyes of hers, the reddened cheeks making those adorable freckles stand out. God, he wanted her, but he felt like he had crossed a line tonight, even if he didn't mean to.

_**AN: actual smut now.** _

Walking into their room, she huffed quietly, closing the door. That conversation went a lot worse than she had expected, and the look on Jack's face definitely told her he was mad, which meant Rhys or her would have to deal with it later on in the week. "Everything alright, Baby?" Rhys asked from the bed, his brown gaze watching her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, it'll be fine," She said, sitting in the bed next to him. "He's just mad, that's all."

"Of course he is," He responded, rolling his eyes. "He's always mad."

"That's true," She agreed, giggling when he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "So, what are we watching?" She asked, looking up at him with a smile.

"Just the usual, a romantic comedy," He said, grinning down at her. She rolled her eyes, sliding into his lap, hearing him chuckle. "Is this just your favorite spot now?" He teased, pressing play on the remote before he set it down, slowly caressing her thighs, grinning when she shivered from the touch of his cold, cybernetic hand.

"Mmhmm. Is that a problem?" She teased back, playfully wiggling her rear against him, earning herself a soft moan, feeling him growing to attention quickly beneath him.

"You're such a tease, Addy," He whined out, sliding his hands under her shirt slowly, her body shuddering as he kissed the nape of her neck, a soft, breathy gasp coming from her as he cupped both of her breasts, the cool metal making her rosy buds rise. A soft moan escaped her as he pinched both of those rosy buds of hers, his teeth grazing lightly against her skin.

"A-and I'm the tease," She stammered out, her face flushed a bright red, feeling him tugged on her nipples, earning himself a hushed moan from her. Moving his head to her shoulder, she leaned back, pressing her back against his chest as she tilted her head away from him, smiling as he peppered her shoulder in sweet, soft kisses.

Kissing up to her ear, he gave her earlobe a soft nibble, smirking when she shivered, her skin flooding with goosebumps. "You are," He whispered into her ear, his voice smooth, with a strong hint lust. Releasing her nipples, he slowly caressed down her sides, groaning while she wiggled her hips ever so slightly, purposely taunting him. She let out a soft giggle, gripping his hands softly as they edged inside of her boyshorts, stopping them.

"So eager, Rhysie," She whispered, slowly sliding his hands out of her pants, grinning at his slight pout. Turning around, she straddled his lap, cupping his cheeks for a brief moment, before moving her warm hands down his neck and shoulders, her grin only growing when he shivered from her touch. Every time she touched him, it was as if her fingers were dancing against his skin, and he loved every moment of it. He groaned when she gradually began grinding against his hardened girth, her lips taking their turn in attacking his neck with gentle kisses. Allowing her fingers to dance along his arms, she kissed his jawline softly, giving it a gentle nibble, her body shuddering as she enjoyed the sound of his breathless moans. Slowly, she gripped his forearms, guiding his hands to her ass, smiling when he chuckled lowly, firmly grasping her lower cheeks, a soft, teasing moan of his name escaping her lips against his ear - if he wanted to call her a tease, he was going to get the _full_ tease treatment.

"Oh my God," He breathed out, feeling her hips press firmly against his, her fingers dancing back up his arms while her lips pressed against the other side of his neck, kissing inside of the Hyperion tattoo he had on his neck. Taking a bit of his skin between her teeth, she gave it a hard suckle, leaving a dark mark on him, his hands grasped her roughly as he tilted his head away from hers, groaning out a soft 'fuck'. She very rarely marked him, since the last time she did, Jack threw a fit and a half about it, but he really didn't care this time. He gripped the back of her shirt, tugging it off hurriedly, his eyes watching her as she gladly complied, pulling it over her head, stretching her back some so she didn't hit him. Using her stretching to his advantage, he kissed her collarbone softly, swiftly leaving a trail of kisses down to her right nipple, his mouth quickly taking the rosy bud in his mouth, giving it a firm suckle, a faint moan coming from her as she slowly ran one of her hands through his hair, her other hand lightly gripping his shoulder, her cheeks a bright crimson. Giving it a gentle nibble, a sharp inhale came from her, her body shuddering again as he slowly slid his hands down, sliding them under the fabric of her boyshorts. 

She loved the way he caressed her, making sure to show nearly every inch of her body some attention. Suddenly, he flipped them over, a soft squeal coming from her as her back slammed on the duvet, watching him wide-eyed as he pulled her underwear off with ease, tossing them down on the floor. Pressing his left hand past her lower lips, his index finger immediately found her little, swollen button, rubbing it in gradual, circular motions, taunting her this time. Having released her rosy bud, he pressed his lips hungrily against her collarbone, hearing her whimper at his teasing, already knowing he was going to mark her - and he was. He took her skin between his teeth, giving it a harsh suckle, leaving a rather dark bruise on her skin before moving up towards her neck, giving her another mark, her whimpers encouraging him as she gripped his shoulders lightly. "A-ah... Not so rough," She gasped out, feeling his lips against her throat this time, leaving another mark on her. She used to be too scared to tell him when he was being too rough, but now, she didn't mind. He never seemed too upset if she corrected him, more so relieved than anything. Easing up on his biting, he gave her fresh mark a gentle kiss, his finger slowly moving down her wet slit, pressing tauntingly against her entrance.

"Sorry, Baby," He whispered to her, smiling at her as she wiggled beneath him, her hands gripping his back softly, her hips grinding against his finger, begging for him to enter her. He chuckled lowly, his brown eyes watching her red face, slowly penetrating her with his finger, watching as she closed her eyes, her teeth taking in her bottom lip, a soft moan still escaping her as she dug her nails into his back slightly. "You're so wet for me already," He whispered, slowly moving his finger in and out of her, her hazy eyes opening, gazing at him lustfully as a few soft moans came from her. After a few more thrusts of his finger, he slowly slid it out of her, cupping her chin gently, grinning at her whines of protest - she was so... perfect for him: the way her body reacted to him, the way she lifted him up, the way those grey eyes look at him like he was the only one in the room, even her flaws - at her worst she was still the best to him -, and before he could stop himself, he let those three little words slip past his lips, "I love you."

She tensed, her face turning a dark crimson as she processed his words, slowly sitting up, which he gladly obliged, his own face a bright crimson at his sudden confession. This was definitely _not_ what he had planned on how to confess to her. "You... love me?" She asked softly, not really believing her own ears. She knew it was coming - it had been obvious from how close they had been recently -, but she always thought she'd be the first one to admit it.

"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said t-that," He said, going into panic mode, looking away from her with a defeated face. 

She couldn't hide her smile as she softly cupped his cheek with her hand, turning her head back towards her. He glanced at her with his brown eyes wide, scared of what she'd say back. "I love you," She whispered back to him, her face staying a bright crimson as he stared at her, honestly not expecting that response. She captured his lips in a sweet, loving kiss, catching him off guard again for a brief moment before he returned it, his hands gripping her sides softly as she slowly slid her left hand in his hand, her right hand resting on the back of his neck.

Laying her back down, he moved his hands down, pushing his pants and boxers down before kicking them off, only breaking their kiss once he was nude with her. "I... wasn't expecting you to say it back," He confessed in a hushed tone, smiling down at her with an excited smile, her heart soaring with happiness. Normally, he would've stopped, but he knew she wasn't going to want him to - he could feel it.

"I wasn't expecting you to say it at all," She confessed back, smiling up at him with a similar smile, his heart pounding in his ears again. "I love you," She repeated softly, bringing his lips back to hers in a loving kiss once again, him whispering an 'I love you' back to her through their kisses, feeling her legs slowly wrap around his waist, pulling him closer to her, a soft chuckle coming from him. If anything, their confession only brought their lust closer to the surface, both of them needing to be one with each other again, but this time, it'd be different, and they both knew it. Moving slightly, he grasped his girth with his left hand, slowly sliding it along her wet slit, getting himself properly lubricated, enjoying each and every soft moan that escaped her rosy lips. Pressing his tip against her entrance, he gradually penetrated her, both of them breaking their kiss as they released hushed moans, maintaining eye contact with each other while he buried himself inside of her to his hilt. Pressing his lips to hers in a hungry kiss, she happily returned with one of her own, a soft moan coming from her as he gradually began to move his hips, her left hand gripping his hair softly while her right hand grasped at his back. Squeezing his sides lightly, she bit his bottom lip gently, giving it a soft tug, hearing his hum of amusement as he pulled his entire girth out of her, before slamming it back inside of her all at once, a loud moan coming from her as she dug her nails into his back slightly. He had done that on purpose - she knew it and he knew she knew, which only made it more pleasurable when he repeated the process a few times, his brown gaze watching her face as she tilted her head back, her grey eyes shutting in pleasure, a low groan of his own coming from him at the feel of her nails digging into his skin. 

Beginning to move his hips at a steady, rough, fast pace, he let out a moan of her name, his lips pressing against the left side of her neck, his teeth grazing along her skin as he began leaving little lovebites on her again, being more gentle than he was earlier, each one earning himself a quiet, pleasured whimper from her between her moans. Leaving a few kisses mixed with lovebites down her chest, he made his way to her left breast, his left hand grasping her right one roughly, his fingers immediately finding her rosy bud, rolling it softly between his index and thumb fingers while his tongue taunted her other one. She arched her back slightly, her breasts pressing against his hand as she let out a hushed moan, one of her hands softly grasping his marked arm, absorbing his power slightly as he let out a low groan, her other hand grasping his cold, metal shoulder. Picking up his pace and aggression, he couldn't help but smirk as her moans grew louder, both of their bodies glistening with sweat under the light, both of them had long forgotten about the movie (as usual), too engrossed with each other. He slowly opened his mouth, taking her nipple in his mouth, giving it a soft nibble as she gasped his name out, her inner walls clenching his girth tightly, signaling the closeness of her climax. 

After a few more minutes of his continued, steady pace and aggression, as well as his continued taunting to her rosy buds, he moved his hand from her breast, his mouth releasing her nipple with an audible _pop._ Capturing her lips with his, he groaned as she moved both of her hands up to his back, her nails digging into his flesh while her legs squeezed him tightly, her inner walls pulling him further inside of her as she moaned out his name, her body trembling as she slowly began to climax beneath him, his body shuddering as he slowly began to ejaculate, reaching his orgasm with her, his hips slowing, pumping through his climax, both of them panting as she slowly opened her eyes, looking up at him with a sweet smile, her left hand moving to cup his cheek, her right hand softly running through his messy hair.

"I love you," He whispered to her again, a smile on his face, his brown eyes watching as her face flared a bright crimson, her smile growing as she giggled.

"And, I love you," She whispered back to him, her thumb softly running along his cheek, closing her eyes as he kissed her sweetly again, returning his kiss with a soft one of her own, inhaling slightly when he slowly slid himself out of her, hearing him chuckle softly against her lips. 

* * *

_**The next morning... (4:50 AM)** _

Rhys softly shook the sleeping Adelia, chuckling when she groaned, looking up at him with sleepy eyes. "It's time to get up, Baby," He whispered, leaning down to gently kiss her cheek.

She groaned again, covering her face with her hand when he moved away, wanting at least thirty more minutes of sleep, but she knew she wouldn't get that. "Alright," She finally murmured out, rubbing her sleepy face. Slowly, she sat up, stretching her arms with a slight moan of pleasure, Rhys staring at her with a smile. It was always so cute to see her wake up, especially when she smiled at him so sleepily.

She smiled at him as he sat behind her, watching her softly undo her hair bun, allowing her hair to fall around her. "It's getting so long," He said, softly brushing it out with a soft hum. He normally didn't brush her hair - in fact, this was easily the second time he's ever done it -, but, he knew she was barely awake and probably would've fallen asleep soon after doing her hair.

"Mmhmm," She agreed sleepily, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands, letting out a soft yawn. "I should cut it. It's not like I like it being pulled anyways," She said jokingly, feeling him stop, laughing at her joke. 

"It's still pretty, though," He said after he finished laughing, smiling. "How short were you thinking?"

"I'd probably cut it extremely short," She said, humming in thought. "The last time I cut my hair was when I was five."

"I'm assuming it didn't grow while you were in the Vault?"  
"It grew a little, but not more than a couple of inches. It only grew for the first year or two, then it stopped as I grew more... Hibernated? I'm not sure what the word would be," She continued, thinking quietly to herself.

"You mean, like... As you went into a better stasis?"  
"Yes, that's what I mean! Thank you, Babe," She said, smiling, feeling him move the brush from her hair. 

"I think you'd still look stunning with short hair," He complimented, kissing her cheek once he stood up, walking off to their closet, his blue and yellow socks standing out against the dark carpet, making her smile. He really did love those bright socks, and they were honestly growing on her, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This is a long, mushy note.  
> I hope you guys are enjoying this so far. Thank you all so much for the kudos, they mean a lot.  
> I originally started this fanfic before I played BL3, so I do apologize for things getting super off-cannon, but I really am enjoying writing this.  
> I wanted Rhysie bean to be lifted up in this one and I do hope I'm doing a good job of capturing both Jack and Rhys's characters while tweaking mildly.  
> A big inspiration for Jack's personality shift is the song "Monster" by Besomorph. I wanted to take him down a few notches, but not completely degrade him with Adelia's character, and I sincerely hope I captured that. I wanted him to be drawn to her, despite her being a lot of the things he hated (Poor, Pandora born, a Siren, smart-mouthed, etc)  
> As for Adelia, her personality idea came from a mixture of "Beauty" by Layto + "Who Am I" by Besomorph + "Siren" by Kailee Morgue. I wanted her to be this outgoing person who seemed perfect but held insecurities and flaws beyond her surface. I wanted to express how she could have anyone she wanted, but she was drawn to two of the most flawed people (in my opinion) in the Borderlands franchise - Rhys for his insecurities, but slight ego and Jack for... Well, being Jack. However, most of all, I wanted to show that people can change, despite their past, that they could lift each other up, despite their insecurities.  
> For Rhys's inspiration, I just felt relatable to him with nobody taking him really seriously and I wanted to lift up his character's insecurities. I really wanted to capitalize on his need to rely on someone else, to have someone by his side all the time (in TFTBL, it was Jack, in BL3, it was Zer0) and make sure he almost always had someone who needed the same.  
> I didn't really want to expand much into Lilith or the Crimson Raiders much since I feel they have enough on their own without me interfering much with them. I really just wanted the story to focus on Jack, Rhys, Adelia, and their obstacles on their way to changing and making Pandora a safe haven again (without mindlessly killing every single person in a fiery death).  
> Anyways, I feel like I've embarrassed myself enough (please be gentle in the comments).  
> This fanfic has been a great vent outlet for me and I hope you guys continue to enjoy. This has honestly helped me a lot this year and knowing others are enjoying my work makes it so much more enjoyable for me.  
> ...  
> And for those curious, yes, there will be JackxAdelia soon.  
> And, yes, this is also a slightly polyamorous storyline for those curious and wanting it to be 100% confirmed by the author.  
> I will probably be going through and editing older chapters at some point closer to the end since I've grown more comfortable the more I've written. I probably won't be doing that until I'm nearly done but I will leave another note before I do so.  
> Thank you all again.


	16. Chapter 16

_**On Helios... (5:45 AM)**_  
After they were both dressed - Rhys in his usual black attire, and her in her leggings Rhys had bought her, plus a short-sleeve, Hyperion shirt that hugged her every curve, they made their way to Helios. Rhys led her to Jack's office, not knowing that Jack had already left to tend to his business on Pandora. He hadn't told either of them he'd be going back there and had sent his body double in his place, giving strict instructions to be respectful to Adelia when she arrived. "I'll see you later, Rhysie," She said, smiling when he pulled her close, giving her a soft kiss on the lips, which she gladly returned.

"I'll see you at lunch, Baby," He whispered, giving her forehead a gentle kiss before he turned, walking towards his work area. 

Knocking on the door of the office, she hummed as the doors unlocked, opening them up to see a very nervous Jack fiddling his thumbs, trying not to touch anything, which she thought was odd. He was never nervous. "Good morning," She said, walking up the stairs quietly as the doors closed behind her, making her way over to the desk, holding her hands behind her back.

"Jack"s eyes widened, watching the petite figure move around so gracefully, his bicolored eyes watching her move closer, visibly tensing. "U-uh, good morning, Pumpkin," He said, watching her as she rounded the desk, scooting away slightly as she leaned towards him, examining his face.

"Since when do you wear your mask on Helios again?" She questioned, reaching her hand out to touch the mask, only for him to slap her hand away quickly, but softly, clearing his throat as he quickly stood up, fixing his hair, staring down at her confused face. He opened his mouth, before she grinned, stepping closer to him, watching as he stepped back. "Oh, I get it. You're Timothy, aren't ya?" She asked, seeing his eyes widen even more.

"I-uh, h-how did you figure that out?" He stammered, staring at her fearfully. Nobody had been able to tell him and Jack apart until now.

"I remember you," She said, smiling as she stepped away, sitting on Jack's desk with a grin. "Drowning in school debt, looking for an easy out, so you gave up your life and identity to get out of the crushing feeling," She continued, seeing him slowly nod his head. "Oh, and if I remember right, you have a bomb inside your face or something, forbidding you from talking about it until the contract's up."

"T-that's, uh, that's right," He said, slowly moving back to Jack's chair, taking a cautious seat in front of her, his eyes staring up at her curiously now. She certainly didn't _seem_ to mean any harm to him. "How do you know all of that?"

She wiggled her fingers, "Magic," She said, getting him to crack a smile, laughing at her reaction, smiling with him. "It's a long story you probably wouldn't understand," She finally said, seeing him slowly nod, his eyes going to her Siren markings. "Oh, don't worry, Jack knows, but I'd like for you to keep it secret."

"I can do that, Cupcake," He said, making a face of disgust. "Ugh, God. Sorry."

She laughed, shaking her head, "No, don't worry about it. I've heard much worse from him."

"I really don't want to know," Timothy said, laughing awkwardly. It wasn't a lie, he really didn't want to know what Jack said to her - mostly because he knew Jack would have his head if he even flirted with her. He made that abundantly clear when he threatened him.

"So, wanna play a prank on Jack?" She finally said, grinning at him, his heart stopping at her words.

"I- uh, I don't think that's a good idea," He said quickly, paling slightly. 

She rolled her eyes, bringing both of her legs onto the desk, crossing them beneath her as he stared at her with an arched brow. Nobody could sit on Jack's stuff like that, at least, not that he knew of. "You didn't even hear me out. Let me ask you something, though," She said, her grey gaze meeting his heterochromatic ones, nearly stopping his heart. She had looked at him several times now, but he never directly looked at her until now, and he could honestly see why Jack was attracted to her - her long, flowing, curly black hair, the pale skin, adorned with freckles, grey eyes, the bright markings against that fair skin, and those plump, rosy lips; all things Jack liked in a woman, the only thing missing? The fiery mouth and violent tendencies. But one thing left him confused - all the bruises on her neck. He's seen several of Jack's lovers, and none of them had ever been marked so excessively, but he wasn't going to pry. It wasn't his business. Keeping his eyes on her face, he watched her talk but not really hearing her. "Timothy?" She asked, snapping him out of his trance.

"Huh? What? Sorry," He said, thankful he was still wearing a mask, otherwise, she'd see him blush.

She smiled, letting her left leg hang down, making a soft, amused hum. "I asked, do you even know how to dance?"

"Oh, yeah, Jack made sure I knew before he started sending me off to events in his place."

"Then, do you care to dance?" She asked, her eyes watching him as he shifted his eyes toward the door before looking at his ECHO watch, checking the time.

"I don't know... Jack will be back any minute."

"I can take the blame," She said, scooting off the desk. "You're his favorite, after all," She continued, fixing her shirt as she glanced at him.

"Favorite? I doubt that, Pumpkin," He said, chuckling a bit, his eyes glancing over at her, meeting her gaze.

"You are 21-C, right?" She asked, moving closer to him with a grin. "Second in command." Timothy stared at her. That actually never occurred to him, and oddly, it kind of creeped him out. He just wanted out from this stupid contract, but he still had quite a few years on it. Judging by his face, she knew the realization had just hit him, which made it even more hilarious to her. "Don't look so angry about that."

"Well, I'm still pretty miffed about the mark, so..."

"Oh yeah," She said, having forgotten about that. She reached out, and even though he flinched, he didn't move away from her as she cupped both of his cheeks, his body tensing from her soft touch, his eyes widening at her again. Suddenly, a light purple glow came from her hands as she closed her eyes, her markings glowing brightly for a brief moment. Moving her hands away from him a few seconds later, she grinned at him, "So, how about that dance?"

"What- uh, what just. What-" He tried to speak but failed miserably. He felt oddly better than he did coming in, but he couldn't tell why.

She laughed at his stammering, "I healed your mark." She paused, watching him stare at her in amazement. "Oh, and the bomb's deactivated, but that'll be our little secret," She said, bringing her index finger to her lips.

Timothy couldn't say anything. How could someone so sweet fall into Jack's hands? Much less, how could Jack _like_ someone like her? He was centered around chaos, and she just... wasn't. Hearing her shuffle away from him, he snapped his eyes up to her, seeing her drumming her fingers against the desk, humming softly to herself as she looked out toward Elpis. Standing up cautiously, he looked at her again. If she really _did_ heal his mark Jack put on him, he did, at least, owe her the dance she wanted, and, if Jack was letting her run around doing as she pleased - which it looked like he was -, then he'd certainly be okay, right?

Pressing a few buttons on his ECHO band, soft jazz started playing, a smirk on his face as he held his hand out to her, taking in her delighted face. "And, here I thought you were going to be too scared," She teased, taking his hand with one of her own. 

"Handsome Jack doesn't get scared of anything," He said, making a disgusted face. "God, I hate myself."

She couldn't help but laugh at his reaction, placing her hand on his shoulder as he awkwardly pulled her closer to him, resting his hand against her upper back. "Let's see if you can keep up with me, then," She teased, seeing his eyes twinkle in amusement as they began performing the Waltz together. He definitely wasn't Jack - he was more clumsy than Jack was, but, he was better than Rhys was at first. She could work with it, and he apparently had no complaints to her leading. "You're not that bad," She said after a minute or two. He surprisingly didn't step on her feet, despite a few hiccups here and there - he did quickly recover from them, though.

"It's been a while since I danced," He confessed, looking away from her as the door to the office opened, his body tensing. She held a devious smirk that sent shivers down his spine. "Please don't get me killed," He whispered to her, still allowing her to lead him gracefully around the room.

"What's this?" Jack asked, fighting back an angered look as he stared at Timothy and Adelia dancing around. That was something he did with her every morning. Both of them stopped, Adelia feigning surprised as she looked at Timothy and Jack slowly, and in that moment, Timothy knew, he was fucked in more ways than one.

"Wow, there's two of you. I'm surprised," She said, drumming her fingers against his back, fighting back a grin.

"Are ya though, Pumpkin? 'Cause I'm kinda feelin' like you're bullshittin' me," Jack said, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

"Mmmm, yup, I'm surprised. I thought this was you. Even gave him the kiss I promised," She teased, Timothy paling immediately as he tried to pull away from her, but her grip was stronger than him. He suddenly knew why Jack liked her so much.

"Really now?" He asked, arching a brow as he stepped closer to the two of them, his heterochromatic eyes burning into his doppelganger, the jealousy seething off of him. "And, here I thought you were going to be too smart to fall for it."

She bit back her smirk, hearing the jealousy in his voice as she allowed Timothy to pull away from her. "N-no, no, Jack, you have it all wrong-"

"Shut it," Jack said, shooting a glare to the other.

"Aw, is that jealousy I'm hearing, Jack?" She teased, stepping closer to him, unable to hider her cocky smirk as she stared up at him. 

Jack clenched his fists, staring down at her with a pissed off grin of his own. How dare she? "Jealousy? No. I'm angry that I worked so hard for a friggin' kiss, and you go and kiss someone who isn't even me."

Timothy slowly stepped back, causing Jack to yank his pistol out, pointing it at him. "Jack, calm down," She finally said, unable to contain her laughter as she patted Jack's arm lightly. "I figured out he wasn't you seconds after I saw him, though, he definitely could've fooled someone else," She said, Timothy holding his hands up in a cold sweat. He knew Jack wasn't going to listen to her. That wasn't what Jack did, even though she definitely complimented his ability to blend, he knew Jack wouldn't let him off.

Jack's eyebrow twitched as he stared down at her, slowly lowering his gun - much to Timothy's surprise -, not even glancing at him. It was _very_ clear why Jack liked her now; that fiery, smart ass mouth, the fact that she didn't have any fear when she spoke to him, and the way she teased him - nobody could tease him and get away with it up until now. "Also, he's a terrible dancer compared to you," She continued, Timothy sighing in exasperation. One second she lifted him up, the next, she tore him down. She glanced over at him, giving him a smile, which eased his mind a bit. She knew what she was doing, and he knew she didn't _fully_ mean it.

"Well, yeah, I'm Handsome Friggin' Jack, baby! I'm the king of dancing," He said, slowly tucking his gun away, completely forgetting about Timothy in the room with them as he stepped closer to Adelia, cupping her chin with his right thumb and index finger, tilting her head up toward him. "You can go," Jack said without looking at the other, his gaze staying on the petite girl in front of him.

"Hope to see you again," She said, giving him a wave, turning her head towards Timothy, disregarding Jack's sweet gesture, which honestly was mildly amusing to him. The blatant disregard for Jack's ego made it so much more amusing to watch it.

"Y-yeah," Timothy said, giving a small wave as he quickly exited the room, Jack staring down at her, not even addressing his doppelganger as he left.

"You are such a little shit starter," He said to her, cupping her chin again, this time holding it firmly.

"I learned from the best," She said, grinning up at him playfully. "Besides, I wanted my dance either way. You can't make promises to me like that then fall through; of course, I'm going to get revenge on you."

Jack whistled a bit, chuckling lowly. That fiery mouth of hers. He loved it. "Well, we can dance now," He said, slowly wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him as he moved his hand down, letting his fingers graze along her severely marked neck. Every time he saw these marks, he grew angry - he wanted to be the one leaving them on her, not the stupid code monkey. She let out a soft exhale, feeling his fingers graze along her skin, her hands slowly moving to his chest, patting it lightly.

"You already missed your chance," She teased, her face light pink as he slowly slid his hand down to her shoulder, moving away from her only to grasp her hand in his calloused one. 

"Well, I'm makin' another one, Kitten," He teased back, moving his hand up her back gradually, despite his want to reach down and grope her ass - he wasn't sure if he crossed a line last night, and he wasn't going to take any chances on further pushing her away, especially when he had worked so hard to win her over.

"Bold of you to assume I want to dance with you," She shot back, grinning as he smirked.

"Oh, Princess, we both know you won't turn down a dance," He whispered, feeling her hand slowly move up his chest, resting on the back of his shoulder, proving his point.

"I suppose you just know me too well, Mister Handsome," She said, smiling as he started to lead them around the room, dancing to the slightly mellower jazz that came on, both of them matching each other's movements in perfect synchronicity, just as they had done at the Gala when all eyes were on them, both of them dancing the Foxtrot better than before since they had learned how each one moved now - plus, nearly every morning for the past two months, they danced together, much to her delight. She laughed as he twirled her a few times, really wishing she had worn her dress instead of her leggings today, but it was fairly cold in Helios, as Rhys had warned. He smiled at her laughing, his heterochromatic eyes watching her face as they danced around, seeing the pure delight and happiness on it with each move they made, her eyes twinkling as he dipped her ever so slightly, another laugh of delight coming from her. 

As the music came to an end, they stilled in front of his desk, his gaze locking on hers, his hand slowly moving down her back, pulling her closer to him. She stared up at him, her smile slowly falling as she slowly moved her hand off his shoulder, breaking her gaze first with red cheeks. She knew she promised him a kiss and she had to do it eventually, but... She just couldn't do that to Rhys, even though he reassured her constantly it was fine. But... On the other hand, if she did it, she'd be done with it, right?

He sighed annoyed, slowly pulling himself away from her, but stopped when she gripped his coat sleeve softly. "Nothing more than a kiss," She said to him, shifting her bright red face back to him, his face twisting into a sadistic smirk. It was progress, at least.

"Of course, Kitten," He purred to her, releasing her hand to grip her chin lightly, bringing his lips closer to hers, feeling her warm breath against his lips. She tensed underneath him, her face remaining a bright crimson as he pressed his lips to hers in an aggressive kiss, his grip around her waist tightening when she gently kissed him back - his lips were soft, despite his rough kiss, which honestly surprised her, and to him, her lips were soft and inviting. He slowly backed her up against his desk, feeling her let out a slight gasp against his lips, her hands slowly moving around his neck, her left hand sliding into the back of his hair slightly, only resulting in him increasing the aggression of his kiss, their lips moving together, but polar opposite in terms of aggression - she was gentle while he was rough, wanting to show her how badly he wanted her. Slowly, he took her bottom lip between his teeth, giving it a harsh, but not hurtful, tug, smirking when she shivered, a surprised whimper coming from her, her grey eyes staring into his bi-colored ones, her face, bright crimson.

And by God, that look on her face. He wanted to see it more. That slightly lewd expression with parted lips begging for more, reddened face, and those damned eyes of hers that captivated him from the beginning. He wanted to friggin' kiss her again, caress her sides with his hands, make her his, but he knew she would stop him - she always did. To his surprise, she shyly smiled up at him, carefully pushing his head back down, meeting him in the middle in another, soft kiss, which he returned hungrily, dominantly, even. Moving his hand from her chin to the back of her hair, he gripped it lightly - he vividly remembered hearing her tell Rhys she wasn't into having her hair pulled, and he wasn't going to mess up what might be his only shot at this -, a faint moan coming from her lips as he slowly slid his other hand down, firmly groping her lower cheek. Breaking the kiss this time, she slowly moved her hands from around his neck, gripping his muscular arms lightly with her tiny hands - despite his multiple layers, she could still feel the firmness of her muscles. He stared down at her, his lips slightly parted, wanting more.

"Just a kiss," She reminded him in a hushed whispered, drumming her fingers against his arms. 

He couldn't help but smirk at her words. Did he want more? Of course he did, but, after their talk last night, he knew he'd be crossing too far of a line to continue, even if he is Handsome Goddamn Jack. "Just a kiss," He repeated her in his own, smooth, hushed whisper, his gaze meeting hers. Reluctantly pulling away from her, she slid her hands down to his forearms, before over his hands, the smoothness of hers feeling rough against his calloused ones. 

Walking around to the back of his desk, he took a seat in his plush, comfortable chair, his gaze watching her as she walked around to him, slowly sitting up on the desk, staring at him. "So, what did you do on Pandora?"

"I had to make sure my defenses were up to par at Opportunity," He responded, pulling up a hologram on his ECHO watch, going through the emails he had missed. "Checked on the new recruits for the army, the construction of the bots, all that friggin' boring shit."

"I wouldn't have minded coming with you," She said, watching as his gaze snapped to her quickly.

"After last time? Absolutely-fucking-not. I may have upped the security, but I'm still waiting for my death turrets and everything to be repaired."

She rolled her eyes as he went back to checking his emails, typing a few responses through the holographic keyboard in front of him. "I'm not weak like I was then," She rebutted, staring at him.

"Pumpkin," He said, not taking his eyes off his emails. "I don't care if you _are_ the strongest person in the friggin' universe, I'm not puttin' you at risk like that."

"And what if something happened to you, then?" She asked, causing him to freeze. Was this her confessing her feelings for him?

"Aw, would Kitten miss me?" He asked teasingly, shooting her a smirk.

"Of course I would." He blinked his eyes, not expecting her to actually admit it. "Jack, you may get on my nerves and push my buttons, but I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I'm Handsome Goddamn Jack. I'll be fine, Cupcake," He said, smirking when she rolled her eyes.

"Need I remind you that you'd be dead if I hadn't stepped in?"

He stayed quiet. She did have a point. He instinctively glanced down to the small mark she left on his wrist - a thin, blue line lining up with his tattoo. "Can't ya just feel everything if somethin' goes wrong?"

"Only if you're in extreme distress. That's how I knew to come out of the Vault to save you. But I was nearby, not far away. Plus, when Rhys goes to Promethea, are you just going to leave me here? _Alone_?"

He froze again; he had completely forgotten about getting Atlas back up and running with that code monkey. He couldn't leave her alone with his doppelganger - he didn't trust him as far as he could throw him -, and after the issue with Katagawa, he certainly couldn't leave her alone. "Fine, I'll consider it next time, Cupcake."

She smiled in victory, hopping off his desk. "Great," She said, walking towards the door. "I'm hungry, though. Let's go get something to eat," She continued, her stomach growling in agreeance - she didn't eat this morning since it was so much earlier than usual, and with Jack usually forcing three meals on her throughout the day, her eating habits had grown better. Jack watched her ass in those tight leggings, his eyes glistening with glee as he ran his tongue over his lips. She looked damn fine in those, and that Hyperion shirt on her. Yellow looked so good on her. Standing up when she turned to look at him, he made his way over to her quickly, wrapping his arm loosely around her waist.

"What's wrong, Pumpkin? Forgot to eat?" He teased. He knew she ate. She wouldn't dare skip a meal after he lectured her last time.

"Pretty much," She said, causing him to stop in his tracks, glaring at her.

"Cupcake, you know you're supposed to eat three meals a day-"  
"Well, _somebody_ left super early. I ate a piece of toast, but that was it," She said, being stopped in her tracks by his firm grip on her side. "I didn't have time to fix an actual breakfast."

He sighed loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That stupid code monkey of yours should've fixed you something."

"He was busy," She said, crossing her arms over her chest with a quiet huff. "I'm not exactly the easiest person to wake up."

He couldn't help himself when he laughed. "You have a point, Pumpkin," He said, grinning as he started to lead her back to the door, hearing her stomach growl in agreeance with their movements again. She did have a point, she was incredibly hard to wake up in the mornings - he had found that out after a week of sleeping with her in the mornings; she had a death grip on him quite often, plus, whenever he tried to wake her up, she just groaned and went back to sleep. Still, he was angry that Rhys hadn't fixed her something to eat, but he could let it slide. This time. 

People walking by the pair of them had stopped and chattered amongst themselves - it was no secret Jack was sweet on her, but none of them had ever seen them together, only her and Rhys. It also was no secret that she and Rhys lived with Jack as well, which meant, the fangirls of Jack's club held great disdainful attitudes toward her - but nobody had the balls to say anything directly to her. Once they reached the cafeteria, Rhys was making his way out with a bag of food, his face lighting up as he saw her. She smiled as she passed him, Jack not allowing her to stop as he pushed her into the front of the line, the workers paling as they opened their mouths to protest, but none of them said anything. After getting their orders, Jack handed her off to Rhys, heading back off to his office to 'deal with big boss stuff'. He had bought her a burger even though she said she would've been fine with a salad, but he said, quote: "That's not enough for you to eat after missing breakfast, Pumpkin".

"So, how's today going, Babe?" She asked as Rhys walked along the side of her, going on about how he couldn't wait to dig into his cheesesteak sandwich.

"It was honestly pretty stressful. Jack's got us coding new security protocols for here and Opportunity, and there are so many errors I have to correct," He said, sighing as they walked into his office, the few people returning from grabbing their lunches staring at the two of them, but saying nothing. "Even Vaughn's busier than usual," He continued, sitting down in his chair with a huff, digging through his bag, pulling out his wrapped sandwich.

She pulled out the wrapped burger Jack had bought her, slowly unwrapping it as she took a small bite. "Well," She started after she swallowed her bite, his bi-colored gaze shifted to her as he quietly ate. "He is upping security a lot since that failed assassination attempt," She said, a realization dawning on her as she paused before taking another bite of her sandwich.

"What?" Rhys asked, looking at her face.

She shook her head, "I'll tell you later," She mumbled, taking another small bite of her burger.

* * *

_**After work... (6:25 PM)** _

Rhys leaned back in his chair, letting out a loud groan as he stretched his arms above his head. "So, what was that face you made when you were eating earlier?" He said, letting his hands rest against his chest, his blue and brown gaze watching her.

"Well," She said, hearing Jack walk into the room, adjusting his hair. Between him and Rhys, she lived with two primadonnas - always obsessed with their appearances. "Oh, perfect timing," She said, grinning as Jack arched a brow at her curiously.

"What? Missed me that much, Pumpkin?"

She rolled her eyes, as did Rhys. "No. I made a realization earlier. Did you figure out who that assassin was when you first drug me up here?"

"No, I never looked any further," Jack said, leaning against the doorway, staring at her. "Why do you ask, Cupcake?"

"What if that was Maliwan making their first attack?" She said, both his and Rhys's eyes widening at the realization. "Think about it. Nobody else besides Lilith and her little group of bandits knew about you surviving. Everyone thought you were dead until you announced the Tediore merger, plus, they choose to attack as soon as your guards were incapacitated."

Jack stayed quiet, frowning. She had a point; it would make a lot of sense if it was Maliwan, but they didn't have any proof. The assassin's body was disposed of months ago. "Maybe the security tapes would show it," Rhys finally piped in, breaking Jack out of his trance. He did have a point, he had so many cameras around Opportunity, one of them was bound to have caught the assassin.

"It's plausible. I'll look into it when we get home," Jack said, rubbing his chin slowly. "So, chop chop, Cupcakes, let's go." He said, turning to walk out the door. Rhys looked at Adelia who just shrugged. 

"He's as impatient as always," She said, giggling when Rhys wrapped his arms around her, sliding his metal arm under her thighs and his left arm behind her back, carrying her the way he normally did. "I can walk, you know," She said, wrapping her arms around his neck with a smile.

"You could, but it's much more fun to carry you," He responded, following behind Jack, smiling down at her.

Once they arrived home, Jack made a b-line for his bedroom as Rhys sat down on the right, next to Adelia who sat in the middle, letting out a soft groan as he kicked off his skag-skinned boots, wiggling his toes, clad in his fancy socks. "I still love that you like such bright socks," She said, laughing at his toe wiggle.

"I love them, too," He jokingly said, laughing when she giggled, grinning at him.

"That ego doesn't look good on you, Rhysie," She teased, poking his side.

"I think it looks good," He teased back, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, leaning his head back, letting out a yawn, the hum of his eye shutting off the only thing being heard, aside from Jack's rummaging in the back.

She smiled and rolled her eyes, resting her head lightly against his side, humming. "I kissed Jack earlier, so he should drop it for a while," She whispered, looking up at him. Rhys frowned but nodded. He felt a slight pang of jealousy, but he knew he shouldn't be. "I wanted to tell you," She continued, cupping his cheek softly with her hand. He knew she was going to - she asked before she ever did anything and they did have boundaries set up. Nothing while he was around - assuming she could help it - and to always tell him when their relationship moved a bit closer to _that_. They did have an extensive talk about this before it began, 

"I'm glad you did," He whispered, cupping her hand with his, smiling down at her, the jealousy burning away. In the end, she picked him first when she could've easily picked Jack, and although he didn't really want to be in a three-way relationship, he knew she essentially didn't have a choice. He did, but he wanted to be with her, no matter what, and he felt confident that his relationship with her wouldn't change much with Jack in the picture. She'd still be herself around him, and he could be himself around her. She very rarely brought Jack up when they were together and he knew she seldom brought him up around Jack. She respected both of their feelings for her.

Suddenly, Jack emerged, carrying a large, bulky laptop into the living room, taking his seat next to Adelia, setting the laptop on the table as he leaned forward, powering it on. "I really should friggin' update this dinosaur. I forgot I even had it," He said, all three of them watching the screen come to life with a bright Hyperion logo across the screen. Seconds later, a bunch of cameras popped up, all in full color. Using the trackpad, he moved to the previous files, focused on the computer as he searched through six months of files, looking for the ones close to the day she arrived. 

Once he found a date close to that time, he flipped through the cameras, looking for his shuttle landing, only to stop when Adelia grabbed his arm lightly, looking over at her with an arched brow. "That's me, right there," She said, leaning forward, pointing to herself approaching the gates of Opportunity. "If the assassin came in soon after me, wouldn't he show up sometime around here to plan his attack?" She asked, looking over at Jack.

"Unless he has that cloaking device on," Rhys piped in, leaning forward to get a better view. Even though this didn't really concern him when this happened, it concerned him now, considering he and Adelia are together now.

"As much as I friggin' hate to admit it, Rhys is right," Jack said, rubbing his chin slowly, his eyes narrowing as a familiar glow came from her, seeing his soldiers all tense up before she began dancing with one of them, seeing his shuttle landing moments later. The scene unfolded the same as it did before, her gracefully swiping the pistol from the guard's back, pointing it at their head, then, playful banter to Jack, a wave of his hand to stop the fire. Rhys slowly facepalmed as she pointed the gun at her chest, daring Jack to shoot her - she really hadn't changed; maybe mellowed out slightly, but she still had those fiery, bold actions of hers. Her actions with the Crimson Raiders proved that much to him, especially after seeing this tape. Rhys reached out, pausing the video as Jack drug her off to the building, Jack examining the cameras carefully.   
"Here," He said, pointing to someone slowly uncloaking near the camera. He rapidly tapped the spacebar, playing it frame by frame, revealing it was, in fact, a Maliwan troop. 

"I was right," She said, slowly leaning back, scowling as she thought to herself. _Why are they after me?_ She thought to herself, hearing Jack slam the computer down with an annoyed growl. 

"Maliwan started their war a long ass time ago, we just never friggin' realized it until now," He said, rubbing his face with both of his hands. He was extremely friggin' pissed. Had he known it was Maliwan who launched the attack, he would've declared war at the Gala, when Katagawa touched her the way he had.

"I still feel like Katagawa's father doesn't realize what his son is doing right now," She piped in, Rhys audibly agreeing with her.

"Based on what Addy told me, he doesn't seem to know what Junior is doing," Rhys finally said, both of them watching as Jack slowly slid his hands off of his face, letting out an annoyed groan.

"That makes it so much fuckin' harder to nail that asshole without causing a big war," Jack said, closing his eyes, frowning.

"What if we just brought the tape to Katagawa Senior?" Rhys asked, both Jack and Adelia snapping their eyes to Rhys.

"And tell him that we have the most powerful Siren in the friggin' universe? I knew you were stupid, but I didn't think you were _that_ stupid, Kiddo."

"Hey, that was uncalled for," She said, shooting a glare to Jack. "But... He is right. That wouldn't roll over well for us. I sincerely doubt them knowing about me openly will help our case any - if anything, it'd just cause more problems for us."

Rhys stayed quiet. The comment Jack made was completely unnecessary, but he couldn't dismiss the fact that Jack was right. He hadn't even thought about that. "So we really have to wait until they make the first move on us again, then?" He asked defeated, leaning back against the couch.

"Pretty much," Jack said, while Adelia stayed quiet.

After a few minutes, she stood up, getting stares from both of the two men. "I'm going shower," She said, walking off to the bathroom, leaving Jack and Rhys staring at each other, confused.

"Well, that was unexpected," Rhys said, Jack nodding in agreement as Rhys held his arm out, looking through some of the holographic files he had sent himself, quietly working on them.

"This makes me wonder if Wallethead was paid to attempt to kidnap her," Jack thought aloud, Rhys nearly snorting with laughter.

"Wallethead?" He asked, fighting back a smirk.

"Assquez or whatever you called him," He responded, grinning. "Stupid idiot was bald in the mailroom years ago. I used to friggin' stick money in his hair plugs."

"That's hilarious," Rhys said, laughing when Jack started to chuckle, rubbing his chin. In his rush this morning, he had forgotten to shave fully - he just ran an electric razor over his skin and left, when normally, he'd shave his entire face -, his hands rubbing along the prickly hair.

"Oh," He said, remembering that she had forgotten to eat this morning. "You should've friggin' made her breakfast this morning," Jack said, shoving a finger into Rhys's ribs. 

"First of all, _ow,_ " He said, rubbing his ribs lightly, shooting a glare at Jack. "Second of all, I tried to, but uh, I don't... Know how to cook."

Jack raised a brow. Surely, he was kidding. Right? "You're joking." Rhys stayed quiet, not saying anything. Jack sighed loudly, rubbing his face again. He wanted to be mean, but he knew if he was, she'd be mad at him all over again, and after today, he didn't want to take ten steps back again, no matter how large the temptation was. "I'm going cook dinner, then," He said a few moments later, standing up with a grunt, making his way to the kitchen. If anyone was going to teach Rhys to cook, it wasn't going to be him. He wasn't making anything fancy tonight, but he was going to make sure she ate a decent dinner since she didn't have breakfast, therefore he figured pan-fried chicken breasts with a side of sauteed vegetables would work out wonderfully for her.

_**AN: Smut again.** _

Suddenly, a chill ran down Rhys's spine, followed by a sudden burst of lust for Adelia. Standing up, he quietly made his way to the bathroom, Jack not even noticing as he banged a few pans on the way to pull out the pans he needed. Opening the door to the bathroom, he saw her pressing her reddened face against the wall of the shower, the warm water running down her skin, making her look even more appetizing to him. "Addy?" He asked, biting back his lust. He wanted to make sure she was alright before he did anything - her health came first.

"Stop," She said in a pained voice, turning her flushed face to look at him. 

"What's wrong?" He asked worriedly, walking closer to her, stopping when she groaned quietly, squatting down in the shower to hold her head in her hands.

"I'm ovulating," She whispered, closing her eyes tightly, trying to fight off the sudden burst of lust she had. 

"That's bad because..."

"Because, by the second day, I can't control myself. At all. I will be an aroused mess," She explained, taking a few deep breaths to try and calm herself down. "Which means you probably won't be able to keep up with me," She finally said, looking at him, her face still flushed, but she looked at him with such pained eyes, it made his heart hurt. 

"I mean, what's one more round in the day?" He asked, trying his best to comfort her, but in reality, he had no idea how to. She wasn't like a normal woman, everything she felt was much more extreme for her.

"One more isn't going to fix the problem," She responded exasperated, pushing her wet hair out of her face, thankful she had at least bathed herself first. "I only ovulate once every four months, but since I was so weak when I came out of the Vault, I'm feeling it even worse than I usually do. It threw off my cycle. Even now, I'm trying not to lose myself."  
"Addy, it'll be okay," He countered softly, taking another step towards her, seeing her body tense. Was him being close to her causing this much effect on her already?

"Rhys, you don't understand," She said, resting her head in her hands again. "I can't just feed off of you every time. It could kill you, and that's exactly what I'm going to want to do every time we're intimate. Even if you _can_ keep up with my drive, you won't be able to handle my feedings and the sex on top of it for an entire week."

"But you always know when to stop-"  
"I won't even know who I am when I lose it," She cut him off, looking at him with a serious face. "You _know_ how I get when I'm _not_ ovulating," He stayed quiet. She had a point.

"What if I tie you up?"

"That wouldn't help much. You'd have to be able to resist my begging," She further explained, his face falling. She had another point. He couldn't resist her when she begged for him. "You're going to feel everything I am, just milder, and I know how you get when you get in a mood."

That wasn't a lie either. He had a tendency to mark her excessively when he lost his control, not to mention, she could feed off of him as long as she wanted since he barely paid attention until she snapped him out of it. "Then... What can I do?"

"I don't know," She whispered, turning her head back towards the wall, another pang of lust throbbing through him. He slowly licked his lips. He wanted to be inside of her. She was calling to him.

"We'll just take it as it comes, then," He said, slowly shrugging his jacket off. He needed her, and he could feel how bad she needed him. Pulling his shirt and vest off with ease, he dropped them to the floor, undoing his belt quickly. "And... If you have to have Jack do it, then..." He paused, glancing at her. He didn't like suggesting it, but what else was he supposed to do? Just from how she described it, it was going to be hell for both of them. She didn't say anything, just stared at him with her grey eyes, watching him undo his pants.

"Wait," She said, hesitantly breaking her gaze from his steadily growing erection. "I need you to put my hair up every night."

"What?" He asked, staring at her confused.

"I won't have enough senses to pull it up after tonight and I'm sure you don't want me to get sick with a cold."

It dawned on him that she was being serious about losing her senses. He thought she just meant usually, but if she was that far gone, then he feared for the near future, but he couldn't focus on that - her lust was fogging up his mind. "Alright," He finally said, dropping his pants and boxers, pulling his socks off quickly before he stepped into the shower with her, his brown gaze watching as she stood up and faced him, her lips colliding with his in a shared, hungry kiss, his hands exploring every inch of her body, earning himself a few, quiet moans to his surprise. She was more sensitive now than she had ever been. He felt her arms wrap around his neck, taking their usual positions in his hair and on his back while he quickly slid his hands down, grasping her outer thighs roughly, slamming her against the wall of the shower before he lifted her up, his mind growing blank as he felt her wrap her legs around his waist, her soaking slit rubbing against his throbbing erection.

"Please," She begged out, pulling her lips from his, her face red as he smiled, purposely taunting her with the slow insertion of his girth inside of her, a loud moan coming from her as she dug her nails into his back, her hand in his hair gripping his brown locks gently. She _was_ more sensitive if she was already moaning like that for him. He groaned, feeling her inner walls sucking him in already, closing his eyes, resting his head lightly against her shoulder as he slowly slid his length half-way out of her, before quickly slamming it inside of her, groaning when her nails dug into his skin, a squeal of pleasure coming from her as she tilted her head back. Repeating this process, he grew quicker with each thrust, his lips kissing along her neck hungrily, needing to mark her as his once again.

He bit down roughly on the side of her neck, in her spot, earning himself a loud moan of pleasure, her legs pulling him closer to her, both of their bodies slick and glistening from the warm water hitting them. Taking her skin between his teeth, he gave it an equally harsh suckle, her moans sounding like music to his ears, pushing him to the brink of his sanity, his thrusts growing faster as he moved his lips down, giving her another dark mark, repeating this process several times across her neck and throat, each one enticing another moan from her. Unlike before, she didn't whimper as he marked her - instead, she just moaned, her walls clenching around his girth each time, drawing him further inside of her. Suddenly, her grip on him tightened, her body shuddering as she released a powerful orgasm, her inner muscles throbbing against him as she panted heavily, closing her eyes as he slowed his thrusting, giving her time to catch her breath, but he knew he wasn't done - her hips grinding against him told him that much -, each thrust, although slower than before, still elicited moans from her.

"Rhys, please," She begged out again, tilting her head to stare at him lustfully, her hands moving to cup his cheeks, shifting his lustful gaze to her face as he smirked at her begging, their lips meeting in a hungry kiss. Picking up his pace again, she moaned his name against his lips, his hands tightening their grip on her thighs, pulling her closer to him. She slid her hands to his shoulders, gripping them tightly as she absorbed some of his power from the marks on him, her body still shuddering from her recent climax as he slammed against her innermost wall, moans of his own erupting from his lips. Breaking their kiss, they both panted heavily, both of them needing air, but that didn't stop his hips from slamming into her, a slapping noise coming from them each time their skin collided together.

His grip on her thighs tightened as he neared his climax, feeling her muscles contracting around him again, signaling she was nearing another one. Kissing her hungrily again, she moaned his name against his lips, returning his hungry kiss with an equally hungry one of her own, both of her hands moving to his back, digging into his skin as she climaxed, feeling him slow his thrusts as he slowly pumped through his own, both of them breaking their kiss, his head resting against the nook of her neck while she leaned her head back against the shower wall, panting with her reddened face. She was satisfied. For now.

_**AN: End smut.** _

Adelia had somewhat came to her senses, but she was still incredibly flustered, and Jack noticed it when she rounded the corner, her wet hair hanging down loosely, unlike her usual, tightly wrapped way. Not only that, her face was a bright crimson and she just looked off to him, but not in a bad way.  
"Jeez, you two look like you've been run over by a friggin' loader bot. What gives?" He asked, watching as Rhys sat down at the bar, resting his head in his hands. She had drained a little too much from him and he was tired. He made Adelia's plate of food, setting it down in front of her while staring at Rhys, making his own food before sitting down, watching the other closely.

"I'm ovulating," She said out abruptly, Jack nearly choking on his beer at her sudden words.

"And that's bad, because..." He said, reacting the same as Rhys did. "You could get pregnant?"

"Well, yes, but Eridians go through their ovulation different from humans," She said, resting her reddened face in her hands, Rhys groaning sleepily as he slowly rested his head against the cool bar, Jack staring at him curiously, sipping on his beer. "My... sex drive is a bit... Over-excited when I'm ovulating." Shifting his gaze to her, he arched a brow. What was that supposed to mean? 

"She stays horny," Rhys said in a muffled voice against the table. "That's what she's trying to say." Normally, he wouldn't say anything ahead of her, but he was tired and hungry and wanted to sleep. 

"That's bad, because..." Jack repeated, setting his drink down, his gaze locking on her.

"I lose my senses," She mumbled, peeking up at him from her fingers. Dinner smelled delicious, but she was too focused on trying to stay sane. His heterochromatic gaze staring at her set her over, making her fidget underneath his stare, shifting her legs slowly. Slowly, Rhys got up, making his own plate of dinner. He knew she was getting aroused again, and he definitely wasn't going to be able to handle her again on an empty stomach. Hesitantly, she broke her grey gaze from him, taking a deep breath as she cut into her chicken breast, trying to piece together her thoughts. Jack couldn't help but smirk, watching her wiggle under his stare. 

"So, what, you just can't control yourself, Pumpkin?" Jack said, taking a bite of his vegetables. He was definitely amused as she wiggled, slowly nodding her head as she took a bite of her chicken.

"We can't bring her out like this," Rhys said, taking his seat next to her again, quickly digging into his chicken as his stomach growled. 

"I think I can handle her, Champ," Jack responded, smirking as he took another bite of his dinner, his eyes shifting back over to Adelia, seeing her wiggle under his stare again. Oddly enough, it felt like she was calling out to him, and he wanted to answer that call. But he couldn't and wouldn't. Not with Rhys in the same house as them. That was their agreement.

"You're going to have to," Rhys mumbled defeatedly, munching on his dinner quietly. Jack stared at him. Never in a million years would he have thought Rhys would willingly give up like that. "I'm not going to be able to keep up alone."

_What an interesting turn of events._


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is gonna be a looooong chapter with quite a few smutty bits, but it does hold some things to Adelia's backstory and Jack's feelings toward her. I'll add another note before each smutty part as always. Also plot twists.

_**The next morning... (6:40 AM)** _

Rhys had finally gotten Adelia back to sleep after he got up, already exhausted for the day. They had another two rounds after dinner, despite how tired he was, and she only took more from him each time, but thankfully, she did snap out and gave some back to him. This morning, she was even worse, just as she had said. He had tired up her hands and ignored her begging, but she was still insatiable and the marks on his neck and back definitely attested to that - she had marked his neck excessively, and he could understand why she would whimper when he did the same to her. The only thing he was dreading? Letting her stay with Jack knowing he was going to please her. Adjusting the buttons on his grey vest, he looked back at a sleeping, redfaced Adelia. If she hadn't told him what was happening, he would've assumed she had a fever. He leaned over, softly cupping her warm face with his cool metal hand, smiling down at her as she groaned, looking up at him with her sleepy, grey eyes.

"I have to go to work, Baby," He whispered, seeing her smile up at him. 

"Okay," She mumbled sleepily at him, smiling when he kissed her forehead, her eyes shutting again as she let out a soft yawn, dozing off quickly. He cautiously tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear before he stood up, adjusting his coat, seeing Jack in the doorway, leaning against it, a smirk on his face.

"You're gonna be late, Champ," He spoke cockily, his bi-colored gaze meeting the other male's brown gaze. "But, I could be generous and let you off with a warning."

Rhys rolled his eyes, brushing past him. He knew it was going to happen eventually, he just hadn't expected it to be so soon, and she never really elaborated on how her ovulation cycle was - but that was probably due to her not thinking about it until it hit her; they did have an exciting last few months. Jack followed behind him, walking him to the front door as he had done every morning since the recent attack from Maliwan. He trusted Rhys, he just didn't trust Katagawa to not spawn in after Rhys left.

"She doesn't like her hair pulled," Rhys said out, Jack's shit-eating grin growing across his face - this was all definitely working out in his favor. First, they kissed, and now this? How delightful. "She also isn't a fan of anal, and even though she's a little off, I do know you're decent enough to respect her likes and dislikes."

"Rhysie, what do you take me for? A friggin' barbarian?" He asked, chuckling when Rhys rolled his eyes.

"No, but I know you like to push her buttons," He scoffed, walking out the front door. "She likes to touch a lot and doesn't really like dirty talk that much, though, I'm not sure with how she is currently," He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck with his cybernetic hand. He hated having to explain this to Jack, but he wanted to at least make sure Jack was aware of her major dislikes.  
"I can see that," Jack said, motioning at all the very visible hickeys on Rhys's neck. 

Rolling his eyes again, he looked at the fast travel station for a moment. "I guess I won't see you two come in today?"

"Probably not, Champ," Jack said, leaning against the doorway again. This was working in his favor, but honestly, it did feel a bit bittersweet. He wanted to sweep her away from Rhys on his own, but shit happens. Plus, he could use this as a means to test her limits he was _very_ curious about. "I'll probably pop in later, but I don't plan on leaving my office if I do."

"Hey, Jack," Rhys said, keeping his hand against his neck, Jack arching a brow as he stared at Rhys. "She likes to cuddle after. Please treat her right, I know she's not herself, but..."

"Yeah, yeah, I friggin' got it, Cupcake," He said, rolling his eyes. He was getting annoyed now, mostly because Rhys assumed he wouldn't treat her right after all he had done for them. "Get going. You already told me everything last night." He stayed quiet, slowly nodding as he headed off towards the fast travel, Jack staying leaning against the doorframe, his pants lazily hugging his waist, watching as Rhys dematerialized. After a few moments, he slowly closed the door, locking it for extra safety - he knew he was probably going to be too engrossed with other activities today, but if Rhys decided to pop in, he'd rather be safe than sorry. If he wanted this to work, he had to respect her boundaries.

Walking back to the bedroom, he slowly closed the door behind him, stepping closer to the bed, seeing her flushed face, his mind instantly flooding to dirty thoughts. Shoving those thoughts away, he slowly crawled into bed with her, hearing her groan softly from the bed moving, feeling her soft, dainty hands run over his chest as they had done a thousand times. He turned his head to look at her, his green and blue gaze meeting her sleepy, grey one as she smiled sleepily at him, scooting over to him, despite his tense body. She certainly wouldn't be ready already, would she? She placed her head lightly against his chest, her arm wrapping around him while her left leg softly rested against his, her eyes shutting again as she held onto him loosely, relaxing only when he heard her slow, shallow breaths. Oddly enough, he was relieved. Closing his own eyes, he slowly wrapped his arm around her petite body, resting his hand against her back as he sunk off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

_**A few hours later... (10:42 AM)** _

Adelia stirred against Jack's chest with a slight groan, her stomach growling, demanding food. She blinked her grey eyes slowly, seeing Jack's hairy, muscular chest beneath her head, her leg resting against the firm muscles in his. She mentally slapped herself - she had gone into this cycle before, several times, but never was it to this extent. She could hold her own before. Why was it different? Then it dawned on her. Women didn't go through cycles as badly as she was until they had marked lovers, and, technically, she had two now - even if Jack wasn't visibly marked, he still held Eridium in his blood from the failsafe and the artifact being smashed in his face. She stiffened against him, feeling him grunt, shifting slightly, bringing his free hand up to scratch his chest slowly, her eyes watching as his fingers moved lazily across his skin. After a few seconds, he relaxed his hand against his chest, still fast asleep.

Realizing he was still asleep, she fought every temptation in her body to caress his muscular arms and chest, wanting so desperately to feel them, but she knew when she did, she couldn't stop, and she had to at least _try_ to fight it. Slowly, she moved her hand from his side, her fingers grazing across his skin, making her shudder ever so slightly. He moved under her hand, making her stop, staring at him with doe-eyes, but he still didn't wake up, to her surprise. Carefully, she eased herself up and away from his arm, carefully climbing over it as to not wake him. Once her left foot touched the carpeted floor, she let out a quiet sigh of relief, her eyes shifting over to Jack, gazing at his still sleeping form. Quietly, she tiptoed her way out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her. She knew when the next wave hit her, she'd lost what grip she currently held over her inner nympho, but Rhys had done a good job of pleasing her this morning. She fixed her (Rhys's) black shirt as she walked into the kitchen, shielding her eyes when the lights turned out automatically. She had a throbbing headache, but she remembered that much from the last time she was, well, in heat, for a shorter explanation. Opening the fridge, she picked up four eggs, grabbing the leftover, raw sausage patties she and Jack had been working on eating this week. Quietly closing the refrigerator door, she grabbed the skillet from the sink - one big difference between her and Jack? He never put the dishes up until the next day.

Setting the skillet down carefully, she cracked in two eggs, scrambling them over medium heat, humming softly to herself before she dropped in the four sausage patties - 2 for her and 2 for Jack. Cracking the other two eggs in after salting and peppering her eggs and taking them out of the skillet, she placed them in her plate she had grabbed shortly after setting the skillet down. Scrambling those eggs, she flipped the patties, picking up three pieces of toast and dropping them in the four-slot toaster, pushing the little lever down. Moving back to the skillet, she pressed down on the patties softly, getting out excess grease, humming quietly to herself as she heard Jack shuffle behind her, leaning close to her, his sleepy, smooth voice shaking her to her core.

"Smells good, Kitten," He said, grabbing the butter from the refrigerator, buttering the slices of toast as they popped up before placing two pieces on his plate and one on hers. This was normally their routine - one of them would cook breakfast and the other would catch the toast when it was ready, but usually, they woke up together.

"I'm surprised you didn't wake up when I first left the bed," She said, feeling his eyes burn into her thighs. She was wearing Rhys's shirt, but it stopped just shy of her mid-thighs, much to his delight. She barely dressed like this around him, it was undoubtedly a pleasant surprise for him.

"Somebody was being super sneaky," He teased, taking their plates once she dropped two sausages on each of their plates, carefully scooping the salted and peppered eggs onto Jack's plate.

"I was hungry," She said, turning the fire off before setting the skillet in the sink, getting ready to wash it.

"Don't worry about that, Pumpkin," Jack said, sitting down on his usual stool. "Just eat."

"Are you sure? It won't take me long-"

"Adelia," Jack said, her body visibly shuddering at her name rolling off his tongue. He hardly ever used her name, it was always 'Pumpkin', 'Cupcake', 'Kitten', or, the newest addition to his nicknames, 'Princess'. She turned the water on, filling the skillet with some warm water before quietly scurrying over to sit across from him, feeling his gaze on her. He was smirking at how obedient she was being for once - normally, she'd argue with him, but he had learned that every time he used her actual name, she listened to him. "Good girl," He praised her, seeing her squirm beneath his stare, not making eye contact with him. Usually, he'd tell her to look at him, but he knew she wasn't herself today - her bright crimson face, the way she fidgeted under his stare, and her sudden lack of confidence to argue with him. He liked this, but he loved that fierce, fiery attitude she had around him so much more.

"Stop staring at me," She said, shifting her head up, meeting his gaze with her own, which turned out to be a big mistake. She felt herself grow warm as she fidgeted beneath his dominant stare, crossing one leg over the other as he chuckled lowly, shifting his gaze off of her. She really was different from how she usually was and it was definitely going to take a minute for him to get used to it. Both of them stayed quiet as they ate their food, neither one saying anything, which was fairly unusual for them, but it was an unusual day so far.

Once they finished eating, she stood up, reaching over to grab his plate from him, his hand gripping her wrist suddenly, but gently, a shock running through her body from his touch. "I'll get the dishes, Cupcake. Go lay back down if you're still tired," He said, volunteering himself to clean up. Normally, she cleaned up after herself, but he knew, the more she paraded around in front of him dressed like that, the closer he'd inch to making her his, and he knew she wouldn't fight him off this time, which made it so bittersweet.

"Are you sure? I made the mess," She countered, pulling her hand out of his with ease, stacking the plates together.

"I'm sure," He reassured her, taking the plates from her, bringing them to the sink. She opened her mouth to object, but nothing came out. Quietly, she slunk off to the bathroom, hearing Jack clatter with the dishes as he washed them, whistling to himself. He was acting oddly today, at least to her, but she couldn't really say anything. Every time she listened to him so far, he would just stare at her curiously - normally, she had a remark for everything he said, but not today. Or for the rest of the week. Letting her hair down, she slowly began to brush it, getting out the knots with ease. Once she had them out, she carefully put it up into a neat bun, blinking her eyes as she stared in the mirror. She looked just like her mother more and more with every day, and her hips widening slightly hadn't helped any.

She stayed quiet, resting her hands on the countertop, thinking back to her mother. She was just a little kid when her mother had passed on, but she still found herself thinking about her more and more these days. Her mother had always told her how happy she was, despite her declining health. It was her own fault she was deteriorating and she knew it, even as a kid. Giving birth to a hybrid put a lot of strain on the mother if she was Eridian, much less to a natural-born Siren, at that. Her mother had been one of the most powerful Sirens out there with her healing, leeching, and creator abilities, and she had passed those, as well as her clairvoyance, onto her. And that was killing her, slowly. She sighed, leaning down to rest her head in her hands, poking her ass out a bit with a groan. She still felt guilty, thousands of years later, for being the reason her mother died, even though her father had constantly assured her it wasn't her fault, that her mother decided she'd be the one to save their kind before it happened. She knew about the uprising when she was pregnant with her and had made the decision to sacrifice herself for their kind, but... Even now, Adelia felt like she had failed. She was the last one of her kind, and even now, there were only seven Sirens in the universe. She rubbed her head slowly, letting out a shaky sigh. She could have kids, maybe, but it'd be an increasingly difficult task, even with modern-day treatments. And, who's to say she wouldn't pass on shortly after? That'd destroy Rhys, assuming he even _wanted_ kids. And Jack... She wasn't sure how he'd feel about it. After Angel killed his wife, a switch had flipped in him, flickering back and forth between sanity and insanity. What if that happened again with her? She shook her head. She never had these thoughts until now, so why was she having them? Was it because she had Rhys and Jack now? Or because she was ovulating? Or maybe, she really felt the desire to bear children? No. Impossible. She swore that off before the uprising started. Why would now any different? Pandora was still in chaos, fractured into unruly states. There'd be no sane reason to bring a child into Pandora now. She was the daughter of the one who helped create the Destroyer (though the rouge Siren leader did use it against the Eridians, in the end). She, herself, was the creator of so many species that still thrived on Pandora to this day. She needed to get her shit together and focus on saving her planet, first. Restore it back to its former glory without causing too many innocent, mass casualties, and definitely prevent the Destroyer from coming out again.

"Are you alright, Kitten?" Jack asked from the hallway, making her jump nearly out of her skin. She had forgotten all about being here with him. Although he was enjoying the view, he had to make sure she was okay.

"I'm fine," She said, straightening up, looking at him with her grey eyes. She felt herself quiver at his stare - even now, he looked like a predator ready to devour his prey. He arched a brow, wanting to pry further, but he needed to tend to other, more pressing matters first - like checking his emails pertaining to Opportunity. He turned, heading back to the living room, not saying anything further. The more he looked at her, the more he wanted to touch and caress her, and her flushed face wasn't helping at all.

She shuffled into her bedroom, grabbing her ECHO before heading into the living room. She was still sleepy, but she knew she wasn't going to be able to sleep. Her body had other plans, and even though she was doing a good job fighting it off, she knew she'd cave eventually, and being alone in her room would've only made it worse. Sitting down next to him, she brought her legs up onto the couch, her grey eyes glancing at him as he went through the emails, he jaw tensing as he read one. "Something happen?"

"Just my contractors being stupid fuckin' moochers. My office on Opportunity should've been rebuild already, but they're taking their sweet ass time," He said, moving onto the next email. He'd deal with them later.

"They have your bots to use to build it back up. That's ridiculous," She said, actually agreeing with him. There was no reason the contractors couldn't have finished rebuilding his office already with the constructors and various bots. He nodded in agreement, not really saying much on it since he was already furious and half-tempted to take a trip to Pandora, but he couldn't with her. Not right now, anyway. Staying quiet after her comment, she loaded up the game Jack downloaded for her, the only sounds coming from them being the sound effects from the game as she shot little space invaders. She was actually doing a lot better than she thought she'd be doing today, but, as she had thought earlier, she was pretty sure it was how much Rhys had pleased her last night and this morning, not to mention, she did have to give him some power back, having accidentally taken too much from him at once. He was definitely more energized after the energy transfer, and he did tie her up after, much to her delight - she didn't want to absorb too much from him and they both knew she wasn't exactly in her right mind with it. Losing the game, she glanced up at Jack, watching him still quietly responding to emails without much care in the world. He was acting differently than usual today. Normally, he'd already be teasing her, but today, he was just leaving her be - not that she was complaining, but it was a little weird. Maybe Rhys had told him something. 

_**AN: Smut will be beginning soon.** _

Her grey eyes trailed across his sharp jawline, her body suddenly feeling very hot as she stiffened, feeling the next rush coming over her. Feeling her eyes staring at him, he couldn't help but smirk, turning his head to face her, his heterochromatic eyes burning into her, his smirk falling as he glanced over her reddened face, her eyes staring at him in a lustful manner. Weirdly enough, he felt drawn to her, just as he felt before. "Pumpkin, are you alright?" He asked, turning his ECHO band off, reaching out to touch her knee, feeling her stiffen beneath his touch. Then it dawned on him. This is what Rhys had warned him about.

"Just fine," She murmured out, her eyes staying glued to his hand. She still had a grip on herself, for now, but the more he touched her, the easier it'd be for her to step over that edge. He slid his hand toward her thigh, hearing her breath hitch in her throat before he yanked her down, a squeal coming from her. Her crimson face staring up at him as he crawled on top of her, her body already wiggling beneath him, trying to get free from his hold, even though she _really_ didn't want to, her hands pushing on his chest. "Jack, s-stop," She mumbled out, looking up at him with widened eyes.

"I can smell your bullshit, Kitten," He said, grabbing both of her wrists in his left hand, pinning them down against the arm of the couch, arching a brow when she let out a delighted whimper, her lips parting slightly as she stared up at him, her shirt climbing up her stomach slightly, revealing her black, lacey panties underneath it. Normally, she'd wear her boyshorts, but Rhys had dressed her after this morning - she was too sleepy to dress herself and she had put her usual boyshorts in the laundry. Allowing his eyes to look down her body, he smirked at her choice of underwear, his right hand gradually edging under her shirt, enjoying her hushed whine again, her body quivering from his calloused touch, his hand pushing her shirt back more and more the further he moved it up. "If you really want me to stop, then smack me like you always do," He purred to her, keeping his hand moving up her front. Reaching the bottom of her breast, he heard her whimper once again, closing her eyes, her body squirming beneath him. She wasn't disliking this at all, she just wanted more, and he could tell - after all, if she wasn't enjoying it, she would've smacked him and demanded him to stop. He smirked at her whimpers, his hand groping the soft tissue, giving it a purposely slow, gentle massage, her soft moan only making his smirk grow. Moving his hand up a tad more, he gently pinched her rosy bud between his thumb and index fingers, giving it a harsh tug, his body shuddering at the sound of her loud, surprised moan; he knew she was a moaner, but to moan that loud over something this simple excited him greatly.

"P-please," She gasped out, her legs squeezing against his sides as she stared at him lustfully. Her grip on her senses was failing, and quickly.

"Please, what, Princess?" He asked seductively, pressing down on her hardened bud with his index finger, his lips kissing the middle of her neck hungrily, allowing his teeth to graze over her fair skin. He closed his eyes, hearing her let out another loud moan, gradually growing hard above her. He wanted to take her right now, right where they are, but he wasn't. He wouldn't. Not until he heard her beg for it. "What do you want, Adelia?" He whispered against her ear, her entire body shuddering as she closed her eyes, his breath warm against her skin, moving back above her, stilling his fingers against her breast.

"I..." She took a shaky breath, her eyes meeting his gaze "I want you, Jack," She said without falter, her face a bright crimson already, but he could've sworn it darkened even more if that were even possible. He grinned at her words, leisurely pulling his hand out from under her shirt. Those were the words he had been waiting to hear, and he'd make sure to enjoy every minute of this. Handsome Jack always got what he wanted. She stared up at him, curious and confused when he unpinned her hands, slowly moving her hands down. Without warning, he scooped her up into his arms, tossing her lightly over his shoulder as she squealed, her body jolting when he brought his hand to her rear cheek, leaving a stinging, red handprint on it, her hands gripping his back as she yelped.

"That's for friggin' making me wait so long," He said, carrying her off to his bedroom. She huffed quietly at his remark, letting out a quiet grunt when he tossed her onto the bed, her flushed face turning toward him, watching him dig in his nightstand drawer for something. Sitting up, she watched him, opening her mouth to speak, only to close it when she saw him pull out a shock collar and leash, her eyes widening at it, his lips twisting into a smirk before he set it down on the nightstand. "That's only if you disobey me, Kitten," He warned, chuckling darkly when she nodded her head in understanding, slowly crawling on top of her, her back hitting the bed again, her body tensing when he brought his lips aggressively to her neck again. Rhys was notorious for marking her right side but not really marking her left, and Jack had definitely noticed - his teeth grazing against her naked, unmarked skin attested to that. She closed her eyes, turning her head away from him as he bombarded her neck with rough kisses, a few, hushed moans coming from her, her body shivering when he slipped his hands under her shirt, dancing his fingers across her skin. 

"A-ah," She gasped out, her eyes flying open at the feeling him bite down harshly on her neck, undoubtedly leaving a mark - unlike Rhys, he was a completely different level of aggression. She felt him suck rather violently against her neck, her body shuddering beneath him as she bit her lip, her hands gripping the duvet next to her. Moving his head away from her neck, she felt him move, her eyes shifting to meet his hungry gaze, feeling him pulling her shirt up.

"Take it off for Daddy, Princess," He commanded to her, a grin on his face as she happily obliged, sitting up to pull the shirt over her head, revealing her busty, perky breasts to him. He slowly licked his lips, taking in the sight of her, and although her face made it seem like she was bashful, her eyes told a different story, she was loving being commanded like this, and he was unquestionably aroused by her sudden submission. Lowering himself down, he kept his gaze locked on hers, smirking when her breathing grew heavy as he neared her left breast with his mouth, his tongue slowly creeping from between his lips. He longed to taste her for so long, and now, he was going to get to. Flicking his tongue over her nipple, he chuckled at her body shuddering, a moan coming from her, her rosy buds growing erect nearly immediately. Taking her nipple into his mouth, he moved his left hand up, groping her other breast roughly, his index and middle fingers pinching that pretty rosy bud of hers between them, enjoying every moan she made for him as she squirmed beneath him, his eyes continuing to watch her reddened face. 

Her entire body felt on fire. It wasn't the same intensity as with Rhys, but it definitely had her over the edge and senseless - his aggression was definitely a big shift from Rhys's method; Jack was more like a hungry animal preparing to devour his prey while Rhys was more... Passionate about it. Jack was like a controlling dominant while Rhys respected her body and her wishes, always making sure before he tried something new - plus, the 'Daddy' thing? It was arousing to her, oddly enough. Releasing her nipple with an audible _pop_ noise, she shooked beneath him, staring at him lustfully, her eyes practically begging for him to please her. "Lift your hips, Kitten," He commanded, chuckling lowly when she obeyed, lifting her hips up for him. He gripped her panties, tugging them down to her knees before he stood back up, pulling them off of her completely, his eyes staring at her petite, curvaceous body, slowly running his tongue over the tips of his canines, chuckling once more when she shivered. He was half-tempted to gag her with her panties, but he would much rather hear her moan for him this time. Dropping her panties on the floor, he reached out, running his rough hands over her ankles, smirking when she stared up at him curiously when suddenly, he pulled her down, a squeak coming from her as she stared up at him wide-eyed, opening her mouth to say something, only to shush when he placed his left hand against her mouth, covering it. Leaning down, he whispered into her ear, "Ah-ah, I didn't tell you to speak." 

Moving his right hand up her inner thigh, she shivered again, her legs twitching slightly as his hand brushed along her skin, feeling his gaze watching her wither beneath his touch. She strangely felt insecure about her looks around him. Feeling his hand stop, she timidly moved to cover her breasts with her arms, breaking her gaze from him, hearing him click his tongue. "Now, now, Princess. I don't think I told you to cover your sexy ass body," He said, moving his hand from her mouth to grip her arms where they crossed, slamming her hands down on the bed above her head, his erection pressing firmly against her soaking slit, a sharp inhale coming from her as her body tensed, her grey gaze hazy with lust, staring into his bi-colored gaze. "Now, remind me what you want, Pumpkin," He cooed out to her, purposely thrusting his hips against her, a faint moan coming from her, her hips pressing against him, receiving a soft growl in response from him.

"I w-want you," She stammered out, trembling under his stare, "Please, Daddy." She couldn't stop herself as that nickname passed her lips, but he seemed to enjoy it, smirking down at her in satisfaction, his right hand moving between her lower lips, pressing against her soaking entrance.

"Such an obedient girl today," He praised her, penetrating her with his index finger, his body flooding with goosebumps from her loud moan, his heterochromatic eyes watching as she clenched her hands tightly, her eyes closing in pleasure. She looked absolutely delicious like this: unhinged and begging for more without even needed to say anything. Slowly, he slid most of his finger out of her, chuckling at her whine of protest, before he slammed it back inside of her, another loud moan coming from her, her back arching, pressing against his finger, begging for more. After repeating this process a few more times, he leaned down, his lips trapping her right nipple between his teeth, giving it a harsh suckle, feeling her fight against his grip slightly, her hands tensing as she shuddered, biting her bottom lip when he slowly slid his middle finger inside of her, her inner muscles clinging to his large fingers, pulsating slightly from the pressure of being stretched; his fingers were considerably thicker than Rhys's - even his mechanical hand had slenderer fingers than Jack's. 

Pressing against his hand, she gradually began moving her hips as he thrust his fingers in and out of her but stopping soon after she moved her hips. "P-please," She pleaded out, pressing against his fingers in need.

Releasing her rosy bud, he chuckled at her pleading, enjoying every moment of it. Kissing up to her throat, he gave the left side of it a gentle nibble, her body quivering, goosebumps flooding across her fair skin from his sudden gentleness. "I didn't give you permission to move, Baby," He spoke lowly against her skin, hesitantly moving his fingers again, hearing her audibly whine as she tried her best not to move her hips with him - which was definitely a challenge on its own. She was far beyond her senses, but her body knew to listen to him if she was going to be pleased. "Good girl," He praised to her again, awarding her with rougher thrusts of his fingers, a loud moan coming from her each time he slammed his fingers back inside of her. 

Feeling her muscles clamp around his fingers, he watched as her body tensed, grinning when she climaxed around his fingers, "H-hah...J-Jack," She moaned out, her eyes shut while her body shuddered, her hips rising up just slightly, which he gladly allowed. The look of pure bliss on her face combined with her moaning his name made his erection throb in his pants. Carefully, he pulled his fingers out of her, watching her pant heavily, he removed his grip on her wrists, his grin only widening when she kept her hands where they were. He brought his fingers up to his mouth, licking her juices off with a cocky smirk, making eye contact with her when she opened her grey eyes again, her body trembling in excitement, watching his tongue talentedly work on his fingers, ensuring not to leave a drop of her juices on them. 

Lowering his hand from his face, he edged his pants down, "Catch your breath, Princess?" He asked seductively, his smirk turning into a sadistic grin when she slowly nodded, her gaze meeting his, despite the want to look at him stripping. "Good. I get to make you breathless all over again," As soon as he said those words, her heart nearly stopped, her body visibly shuddering in excitement. Dropping his pants down, he stepped out of them, his left hand firmly grasping his erection, lazily wanking himself off as he tapped her shins lightly, watching with a smirk as she pulled her legs up, beginning to scoot back, only to be stopped by his hand on her knee. "Did I give you permission to move, Kitten?"

"N-no..." She stammered out, staring up at him with widened eyes. Normally, he'd punish someone for moving without him asking as much as she had, but she had been such an obedient girl for him thus far, minus a few hiccups that he could easily let slide for now.

"Hands above your head like I had them before, Pumpkin," He instructed, grinning when she obeyed, placing her arms above her head. Carefully maneuvering between her legs, he rubbed his throbbing, lower head against her wet slit, a low groan coming from him while she let out a soft exhale, her legs twitching against him slightly. It had been so very long since he was intimate with anyone, so to say he was excited was an understatement - the last time he had ever been this close to someone had been with Nisha, several years ago, and even then, it was more lust than anything even remotely close to this. 

Pressing his tip against her entrance, she released a hushed moan, wiggling her hips against him slightly, which he allowed this time - it was amusing to see how bad she wanted him after months of trying to seduce her. Slowly, he penetrated her, feeling her tight walls around his girth, a low moan coming from him while she let out a loud one, her hands instantly moving to grip his arms lightly, much to his displeasure, but he was too focused on how tight she was to correct her. Feeling him carefully shove his entire length in her, she couldn't help but tremble from how large he was, her nails digging into his skin ever so slightly, her eyes closing, releasing a breathless moan, unable to make any noise. He wasn't much longer than Rhys - maybe half an inch or so -, but he was a bit girthier than Rhys - definitely at least a finger thicker -, and although it didn't seem like much of a difference, it felt a lot bigger inside of her tight walls. Giving her a few, gentle thrusts, he groaned each time, feeling her muscles pulsate around his length, her moans driving him to his own edge, and all the touching wasn't helping either; he had learned a long time ago, the more touching involved, the more intimate it was, and the more likely it'd be that he'd get attached, and getting attached barely ever went well for him.

Suddenly, he felt her hands in his hair, her body leaning up, her lips pressing against his in a hungry kiss, which honestly, surprised him - and that was surprising on its own; nobody ever surprised Handsome Jack. Until now. She persisted on her kiss, and after a few moments to deal with the shock of her making the first move, he returned her kiss with an even hungrier one, demanding entrance to her mouth with his tongue. She moaned, feeling his hips starting to rock slightly more aggressively into her, allowing him entrance, her body tensing when he gripped her neck, his hands squeezing against the veins in her neck roughly, definitely intending to leave bruises. Moving her left hand to his wrist around her neck, she gripped it lightly, each thrust growing more and more aggressive while he began to _actually_ fuck her, and with each thrust, she let out breathless moans, unable to let out vocal ones, his grip on her throat preventing her from being as vocal as she normally would be, tears forming in her eyes, mostly from pleasure. 

He broke their kiss, his heterochromatic eyes burning into her teary, grey ones, a smirk on his face while he pulled nearly his entire length out of her, before slamming himself back inside of her, her body shaking from the force as she let out a strained, loud moan, her eyes shutting while she gasped for air. Realizing he was gripping her too harshly, he released his grip, letting her fall back onto the bed, his head pressing against the left side of her neck, he slowly slid his hands up her arms, gripping her forearms, slamming them against the bed above his head. "I didn't give you permission to touch me, Adelia," He whispered into her ear, her entire body flooding in goosebumps once again as he said her name, a shuddering moan coming from her when he picked up his speed, his aggressive thrusts slapping his hips against hers, leaving a stinging feeling in its wake. 

"H-Hah... I-I'm s-sorry," She managed to gasp out between her moans, her legs twitching against his sides, longing to wrap around his waist and pull him in more, but she knew if she did, he'd be unhappy with her. Closing her eyes when he started giving her neck rough nibbles, she could hear a few, quiet moans coming from him, her nails digging into her hands, squirming slightly against his grip, wanting to touch him. "P-please," She pleaded out, hearing him chuckle lowly in response.

"Please, what?" He asked quietly, his voice still holding its dominant edge to it as he pounded her. She was tighter than he had expected and he was enjoying every moment of her tight muscles squeezing him, unable to stop himself as the bit down on her neck, having a compelling need to mark her. The only difference between him and Rhys? He was marking her a lot more violently, and, even though normally, she'd have protested by now, she was too blissfully gone to care, just as she had been with Rhys earlier.

"P-please let me t-touch y-you," She panted out, staring at him when he lifted his head, hovering it above her face, a smirk on his lips. "P-please, Daddy," She continued to plead to him through her moans.

He could understand what Rhys had meant now by how irresistible she was with her begging. Those wanting eyes staring up at him like he was the only one in the universe, her mind completely overtaken by the lust and, by God, that pleading. It was driving him past his edge, and he knew his grip on his bearings were going with it. Hesitantly, he released her wrists, his lips capturing hers hungrily, asserting his dominance over her again with his rough kiss, which she happily returned, her hands gradually sliding up his arms before moving to his back, gripping his skin tightly with her hands, hearing him moan as soon as she gripped him. She felt a pressure building in her stomach as his thrusts became more erratic and aggressive, her inner walls clinging to him, drawing him in as she wrapped her legs around his waist, no longer thinking as she neared her climax, the new angle from her shifting her legs pulling him deeper inside of her, earning herself a loud moan from him, his hips slowing when he couldn't resist anymore, his lengthy girth throbbing inside of her as he ejaculated, filling her up, her muscles clinging to him, her nails digging into his back as her legs squeezed his sides, a scream of his name coming from her while she climaxed, feeling herself absorb some power from him, but it wasn't like she absorbed from Rhys - it was more pleasuring and energizing to receive it from Rhys, whereas, with Jack, it was a weaker amount, and, honestly, it exhausted her. His was entirely more laborious, the weight of his inner turmoil wore heavily in him, and she could feel it, but she'd never address it with him. It wasn't her place. He'd talk to her when he was ready.

Leaving his head resting against her shoulder, he felt her body relax around him, her legs reluctantly unwrapping from him, resting back on the side of him as she panted, both of their bodies glistening in sweat from their recent activity. Moving her hands down his arms, she lightly gripped his forearms, catching her breath slowly, but surely, hearing him pant with her. "Holy fuck, Kitten," He whispered, slowly picking his head up to gaze down at her, her face no longer as red as it had been, but just a light pink now, her eyes shut as she steadied her breathing, a soft gasp coming from her when he removed himself from her. He laid down next to her, running his hands through the front of his hair, letting out a relieved sigh. He needed that more than he realized. All the pent up frustration from her had certainly been worth the wait. Moving to sit up, Jack opened his bi-colored eyes, gazing at her freckled, pale back. "Where are you going?"

"To clean up," She responded sheepishly, not daring to look at him right now, especially after what she called him. Not to mention, she was exhausted. Jack was a whole different level from Rhys and he had definitely worn her out. Feeling him grip her forearm, she looked back at him, squeaking when he pulled her against his chest, chuckling from her noise.

"No, you're not," He stated, wrapping his large, muscular arm around her, pressing her against him. "I'm not done with you." Her eyes widened at his words, staring up at him concerned, a shit-eating grin taking over his face. "I'm just fuckin' with ya, Pumpkin. You should've seen your friggin' face."

"You asshole," She said, rolling her eyes while pushing against his side.

"Ah-ah, language," He responded sternly, keeping a firm grip on her. "I'll clean you up, can't let that friggin' code monkey get ahead of me, now can I?" He continued, smirking when she rolled her eyes. Releasing his grip on her, he stood up, slipping his pants back on before venturing into the bathroom not far from his bed. She huffed, rubbing her still-pinkened face with her hands, propping her legs back up, but holding them closed this time. In the back of her mind, she could feel both jealousy and relief coming from Rhys, probably because he had realized she didn't like it as much as him, which wasn't a complete lie - she enjoyed it, but Jack wasn't Rhys. The thing that drew her into Rhys was his gentleness. He always made sure she was comfortable before going forward, and if she wanted to take charge, he'd allow her to - at least briefly, anyway -, and, on top of it all, it was much more... Intense for her. Jack was intense, but the feelings she could feel coming from Rhys made it so much more intimate for her. Though she couldn't deny it, she did enjoy the way Jack had fucked her. Rough and aggressive, but being mindful of her limits.

Snapping her out of her trance, Jack drummed his fingers along her knees, her allowing him to part her legs with ease. She jumped at the cold washcloth pressing against her delicate area, hearing him chuckle, but giving him a glare in response. "What? I had to make sure you weren't falling asleep on me, Cupcake," He explained, cleaning her up with ease. Unfortunately for him, although the sex had been amazing, he still couldn't help but feel off. Rhys had warned him about her liking to touch, but he didn't take him seriously - the other women he had been with hadn't wanted to touch him as much as she did, which he didn't mind. They were just fucks, after all. But this. This was different. The way he had felt when she called his name out when she climaxed, not to mention, the way she clung to him like she needed him, had shaken him to his core. Once he finished cleaning her, he tossed the washcloth into the laundry hamper in the bathroom, sitting down next to her again, staring at the collar with sadistic thoughts. He did need to go in today, but he was having too much fun with her being such a nymphomaniac. Plus, who's to say she won't wander off in her heat-like state?

_**AN: Smut over, some suggestive themes still apply though.** _

Moving quickly, he grabbed the collar. By this point, she had sat up quickly, staring at Jack worriedly, until she saw the collar and leash in his hands. "Jack, no," She said, holding her right hand out to him. Smirking, he gripped her hand in his, pinning her back against the bed, using his size as an advantage against her. Moving quickly, he slammed the collar against her throat, chuckling darkly when it shocked her lightly, his eyes looking over her body as it shook, her rosy buds growing hard from the shock. "What the hell?!" She exclaimed, staring up at him angrily, gripping the collar again with her left hand, pulling on it briefly before it shocked her again, this time more aggressively.

"I wouldn't try that, Pumpkin," He said, slowly getting off of her, his smug smirk staying on his face. "I have to go to Helios and I can't rightly have you wondering off, now can I?"

"I'm a grown-ass woman, I think I can walk next to you just fine," She shot back, hissing when it shocked her lightly this time, her eyes shooting daggers at him.

"Ah-ah, language," He chastised, walking over to his closet, pulling out a pair of his usual, grey jeans. Honestly, it didn't surprise her that he went commando. She glared at him angrily, sitting up in the bed with her legs closed, watching his back flex as he pulled up his pants, positioning himself before buttoning and zipping them up, seeing his shit-eating grin from the side when he glanced at her, lining his brown belt through all of the hoops. Soon after, he slipped on his Hyperion shirt, followed by a white button-up, then his brown vet, and finally, his black jacket with his cloaking device disguised as a pocket watch. Pulling up the sleeves to his multiple layers, he turned to look at her, grinning at the sight before him - her, nude, wearing a collar and leash, staring at him with pink cheeks. What more could he ask for? Besides maybe less malice in her glare, but he could ignore that. "Well? Chop chop, Pumpkin. Go get dressed."

"And, if I refuse?" She said, crossing her arms over her chest. He chuckled lowly, placing his arms on both sides of her, bringing his face close to hers, "Then, I'll drag you there naked," He promised, bringing his lips closer to hers, but stopping before they touched, purposely taunting her, and judging by how her breath hitched in her throat, he was successfully flustering her.

She stayed quiet, shifting her grey eyes up from his lips, meeting his bi-colored gaze. "Maybe I'd enjoy that," She taunted back, watching as his smirk faltered. That fiery mouth of hers made him want to put her in her place, but it was too soon. He needed to wait a little longer before he was ready for it again, and he needed to sign off on a few rifles that were supposed to be rolled out today.

He gripped the leash with his hand, pulling it taut, before giving it a harsh yank, grinning when she let out a soft inhale, her cheeks reddening slightly as she looked up at him, unable to look anywhere else. "Such a fiery little mouth, Princess," He whispered to her, his lips crashing against hers in a passionate, heated kiss, which she returned, to his surprise. Both of them fought for dominance in their kiss, but ultimately, she caved, her mouth opening as he trailed his tongue along her bottom lip, welcoming it inside, which he happily obliged, his hand holding the leash releasing the grip on it, his hand moving to grip the back of her hair, pulling it lightly, not daring to overstep her boundaries with that, his body barely shivering, but still shivering, when she ran her hands up his neck, both of them tangling in his brown hair. Pulling his lips from hers, he opened his eyes, seeing her crimson face staring back at him, both of them breathless, having robbed each other of their air. It was at that moment that they shared a gaze with one another that he realized how attracted and attached to this woman he actually was. And that scared him. After Moxxi betrayed him, he swore to never get attached again, yet here he was, getting attached to a _Siren_ at that.

"I have to get dressed if we're going to go," She mumbled out to him, pulling her hands from his hair carefully, smoothing it down for him with a breath-taking smile. She had learned with Rhys how much these two men obsessed over their hair and every time she messed it up after he styled it, she made it a habit to fix it. Jack, on the other hand, found it adorable how she groomed his hair back down. Releasing his grip from her hair, he watched as a few strands came down from her bun, helping her stand up, despite not being asked to. Once she started to walk away, he brought his hand back, before swinging it forward, giving her ass cheek a firm, stinging smack, causing her to still, her teeth biting her bottom lip to hold in her moan. Clenching her fists, she turned to shoot daggers at him again for a second, before walking out of his room and towards hers, shutting the door behind her with a hard sigh.

Why did her ovulation cycle have to happen _now_ of all times? Why not when it was her and Rhys on Promethea? 

* * *

_**On Helios (12:45 PM)** _

Adelia was shooting daggers at Jack, who led her around like a lost puppy by the leash. All the looks of jealousy coming from the women she passed only pissed her off more. If they wanted to be humiliated, she'd gladly let them take her place. Despite having to wear her black, lacey dress and matching stockings since her only pair of leggings were dirty, she was fairly warm. Probably from her ovulation cycle, but the point remained. Jack did give her one of his spare coats, so she did have that on as she walked, but it didn't really help her case any. The looks were probably much worse than if she had just not taken it, but he shocked her each time she tried to deny it. Minor shocks, but still shocks regardless. She wanted to rip this collar off and shove it up his ass. Reaching his office was definitely a task. He was more possessive of her now than he had ever been, purposely attempting to pick fights with anyone who even looked at her a certain way, which definitely added onto her embarrassment. Half of her wanted to believe that he was doing it to embarrass her, but the other half of her knew he was doing it in a serious manner.

Once they reached his office, his tall, slender secretary met him at the doors, handing him off paperwork and saying things Adelia didn't really care to listen to, shooting a cocky smirk every time the secretary shot her a glare. From day one, she had received dirty looks from this woman, and she had no problem with purposely making her jealous. Stepping closer to Jack, she gripped his arm. He arched a brow down at her, watching as she rubbed on his arm, shooting his secretary a very cocky smirk. He hummed quietly in amusement, it was obvious to him that his secretary wanted in his pants, but who wouldn't? He was Handsome Fuckin' Jack, but seeing Adelia purposely push the other woman's buttons strangely amused him more than it should've, mostly because he wasn't really into blondes, plus, she was a typical fangirl with a boring personality to him.  
"Let's go in your office already, _Daddy_ ," She said his nickname with extra emphasis, the blonde woman in front of her turning a bright red with anger, her eyes shifting back to Jack, watching his reaction as if she were waiting for him to deny Adelia.

"Whatever you want, Princess," He responded, hauling the paperwork in with his left hand holding her leash, his right arm wrapping around her waist, pulling her into the office. Once the doors shut behind them, he turned to look at her but released her leash. She couldn't get out of here without him - at least, not without using her powers, and the collar would ensure she couldn't. "Wanna tell me what that was about, Cupcake?" He asked, making his way up the steps and to his desk, dropping the stack of paperwork down before taking a seat in his comfortable, bright yellow chair.

"She's been giving me nasty looks since you brought me up here," She said, taking her ponytail down briefly before fixing it a bit, tying it back up as she made her way up the steps, looking out of the giant windows at the vast emptiness of space, her eyes watching the stars. "Figured you wouldn't mind some petty revenge," She continued, flashing him a smile.

"Not at all, Kitten," He responded, chuckling, watching her stare out into space. "It was pretty friggin' hot seeing you be possessive of me."

"Of course it was," She retorted sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Slowly, she lowered herself to the ground, resting her head against her knees as she gazed out the window, hearing Jack scoot his chair back, stopping when he was in front of her.

"Whatcha doin'?"

"I'm tired," She murmured, turning her head to look up at him. 

"Well, you don't have to sit on the floor," He patted his lap once he finished speaking, arching a brow at her giggle.

"I'd prefer the floor."

"Ouch," He feigned offense, holding his hand to his chest, grinning when she giggled again, rolling her eyes at him once again. Getting back on her feet, he grabbed her leash, tugging her closer to him, releasing it when her thighs were within his reach.

Gripping her thighs roughly, he pulled her into his lap, smirking when she let out a gasp, staring down at him with a squint, her legs straddling him. "Don't you have work to do?" She questioned.

"I can hold you and sign paperwork, Pumpkin," She arched a brow at his words. He normally wasn't this... sweet? Possessive? She couldn't think of the right word to describe it. But she didn't mind it. She liked to be held and cuddled - Rhys had spoiled her to that not long after the Hugo situation. "I'm Handsome Goddamn Jack. I can do a lot of things," He continued, grinning when she scoffed. There was that damned ego of his; that ego that she weirdly loved so very much.

Despite their staring contest, her sleepiness won over her as she sighed loudly, resting her head against his shoulder and against the nook of his neck, feeling him scoot them close to his desk again. "Don't you dare try anything while I'm sleeping," She said, hearing him chuckle darkly. In her rush, she had forgotten to bring her panties with her, so she was going commando with him, which he found _extremely_ amusing, especially when she hunted all over her and Rhys's room for a pair of underwear, only to realize all of them were still with the laundry bots, and he wouldn't give her the pair she left in his room.

"You'd love it if I did," He whispered to her, her body betraying her, trembling against him in agreeance. She didn't even have to look up to know he had that famous, shit-eating grin plastered across that stupid, handsome mug of his. Despite his words, he didn't try anything besides occasionally holding her back so he could reach forward for something, which she didn't mind that much, and within a few minutes, she had fallen asleep against him, her breath warm against his neck as she nuzzled close to him.

Feeling her body relax against his, he glanced down at her, seeing her relaxed, sleeping face propped up against him. When she nuzzled her face close to his neck, he tensed briefly, but it quickly passed, a quiet chuckle coming from him. Signing off on all the rifle releases, he finished the stack of paperwork with ease. He normally would've had to go through them, but Rhys was now his second-in-command with that, and he knew Rhys would never intentionally let anything slip past to hurt the company, plus, with the enhancement on his ECHO eye he had given him, he'd catch any mistakes before he even saw them. He disliked the code monkey for taking what was his, but, oddly enough, he couldn't help but feel more relaxed around the younger male. Rhys had an ego that could easily inflate to the point he'd be a mini-Jack, but he always stayed grounded and knew when to admit his shortcomings, unlike Jack. Plus, he had willingly given Adelia to him for this week with a rather detailed like and dislikes list for her needs. That definitely gave him massive brownie points. Honestly, the more he thought about it, the more Rhys seemed like him when he was younger. Maybe that's why he was warming up to him so easily. Plus, despite his smart mouth - that he was fairly certain he got from Adelia -, he listened to him with anything he requested workwise. It made it a lot easier for him. And made him more money. A lot more money.

Resting his hand against the middle of her back, he leaned forward, powering up his computer, hearing her groan quietly against her neck, grinning when she squirmed slightly, before falling still again, her breath softly hitting his neck. He hummed in amusement. She really was so much like his wife when he had met her all those years ago. Perhaps, that's why he grew attached to her. She reminded him of happier times, before all the betrayals that made him snap; every time she touched him, he was greeted with a warm, comforting feeling, like no matter what happened, she had his back, which was definitely an abnormal feeling for him. Ever since Angel killed her mother in front of him, he had been very off-set by others, then all the betrayals coming after only made him warier of people, even with Nisha, he never got close to her. She was nothing more than a fuck to him, and when she got too clingy, he gave her ruling over Lynchwood.

But Adelia? Adelia was different. He felt vulnerable with her, and he both hated and enjoyed it at the same time. He felt like he could relax around her like he could... trust her. He stilled his fingers from typing on the keyboard. He trusted her. Trusting people always led to betrayal. He knew this, but he still trusted her. Why? What was so special about this woman sitting on his lap? Suddenly, the realization that he was treating her less like a fuck and more like a lover hit him like a freight train. He was sitting here, holding her, letting her sleep in his lap while he worked. He took her into his home, and not just _fucked_ her, but made love to her. And he enjoyed every moment of it. He let her touch him and let her face him, kissed her, everything he had sworn off years ago. Even with his second wife, he had never let her touch him - she always had to be face down. When they slept, he never held her the way he happily held Adelia, but then again, he never was close to her like he is Adelia. She knew what he did to Angel and said nothing about it, aside from that first time, and she felt instantly bad about it later. She didn't judge him or make him feel less than what he was - she let him feel like the King he was.

He glanced down at the sleeping girl on him, his green and blue eyes examining her face. It wasn't extremely slender, but it wasn't fat, either. It was right in the middle, matching her curvy body. The freckles that adorned her face added color to her pale skin, and those plump, rosy lips, slightly parted as she slept soundly against him. They felt so nice on his. Thinking back, this is actually the first time he looked at her up close and not in a panicked state. Every other time he had looked at her, he didn't get to examine her as closely as he was. He knew he shouldn't risk trusting her again, but he couldn't help it. Up until now, she hadn't given him any reason for him to distrust her, and she'd been living with him for nearly seven months now. If she was out to get him, certainly, she would've done it before now, right? Right. Not to mention, she handed the bandits as much as he did, but she was considerably less murder-y than him. In fact, now that he thought about it, she had never killed anyone or anything that he's seen, but she didn't seem to blink an eye against slight violence. The way she had gripped that stupid fuckin' Lilith by the throat, asserting her dominance. He groaned quietly to himself, resting his head against the back of his chair. The image flashing in his mind aroused him all over again. Keeping his eyes shut, he thought back to the last time they visited her oasis on Pandora. The way she interacted with all of her creations, especially that damn Rakk that hated him, always made him happy. Seeing the delight in her eyes when the skags would tackle her down in excitement, or the delight when the Rakk landed on her arm and ate out of her hand, it made his heart strangely feel whole. The smile she'd wear interacting with them was unlike any he had ever since, besides the one his wife had when she'd smile at him. That look of pure happiness. The feeling he longed to feel again. Just what was she doing to him?

Suddenly, his secretary buzzed on the intercom, "You have a visitor, Sir," Her voice said snottily, Adelia shifting in his lap slowly, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She wasn't in a deep sleep and hearing that voice had woken her up. His eyebrow twitched in annoyance. She was sleeping so soundly for the last half hour and now she was awake and looked extremely pissed off to have been woken up, which was really friggin' adorable to him. "It's one of the Tediore board members here to discuss their prototypes," The secretary said again, Jack sighing loudly as Adelia huffed, her hand pressing against his toned chest. 

"Legally, you're not supposed to be in here, Pumpkin," He said, his hands grasping her thighs lightly, preventing her from falling over when she moved too far back. 

"Mm," She just grunted to him, slowly slipping between his legs and under his desk. He arched a brow, watching her. There would be no way he could slip her past the Tediore executive and to Rhys, and he couldn't call Rhys up to fetch her. He was already on thin ice after denying the female board member when she begged him to fuck her. "Just pretend I'm not here," She said, peeking up at him sleepily as he stared down at her. Seeing her on her knees didn't help his arousal from earlier, but there was nothing he could do about it. He wasn't about to send her out like she was now, and since he placed the collar on her, she really wouldn't be able to defend herself - even though she knew she could easily rip the collar off, she was humoring him. It was kind of hot. She'd definitely have to do this with Rhys, just, maybe with a tie instead of something that shocked her.

_**AN: Smut again.** _

Hearing Jack push a button on his desk, she shifted a bit when he scooted in, staying on her knees, as she heard a man march in. "To what do I owe the pleasure to this unexpected visit, Mister Tediore?" He asked, looking at the short, grey-haired man. 

"Drop the bullshit, Jack. You promised my company we'd be rolling out the guns two months ago. What's the holdup?" He asked, slamming his hands down on the desk, making Adelia jump slightly against Jack's legs, her hands hitting his knees slightly, causing him to stiffen, falsely smiling at the older man. She couldn't help but notice Jack's apparent erection pressing against his jeans.

"We're having difficulties with the re-materialization," Jack answered as nonchalantly as he could. He didn't appreciate being spoken to like this, and had Adelia not been in here, he would've handled this insubordination his way, but he didn't want to startle her too much.

"What's the issue? I sent you the code months ago," He shot back, a vein bulging in his forehead in anger. Suddenly, a warmth wiped over her once again, her mind growing hazy. Being this close to Jack and seeing his hardened member so close to her face wasn't helping her at all. She knew she'd be active today, but this close together was unexpected for her.

Slowly, she carefully unzipped Jack's pants, feeling him tense again as she carefully maneuvered his girth out of his pants, licking her lips slowly, her hand holding his length. He cleared his throat, holding in his groan of pleasure when she slid her tongue over his sensitive tip, getting an impatient look from Tediore. "With Hyperion's increased accuracy and damage, it throws off the code significantly. We're working on it as fast as we can," He said through clenched teeth, holding in a moan as she ran her tongue down his shaft, her hand slowly working her spit down to his hilt. She could feel him grow harder in her grip, delighting her further. Licking back up his shaft, she smirked when he twitched in her grip, begging for more.

"Not fast enough," Tediore said, watching Jack's tense face, treading lightly around him. He knew that face; if he continued to piss off Jack, he'd be looking down the barrel of his gun. "It's not just our board members furious, it's our customers. They're wanting to see Hyperion-Tediore guns being released to merchants."

"They can and will wait," Jack responded, keeping his gaze down. He was trying his best not to moan, but the way she was working her tongue around his sensitive tip making it increasingly hard. He cleared his throat again, biting the inside of his cheek when she slowly took half of his length inside of her mouth, her tongue flattening around his shaft when she gave it a firm suckle, her hand working on his lower half. "Unless you want lawsuits on both of our hands, you should tell your board they have to wait, as well. We're really friggin' close to having them completed. I estimate at least four more weeks-"

" _Weeks?!_ Jack, Sir, with all due respect, the board will crucify you and me both for this! We both know they weren't exactly on board with this partnership as is."

He stayed quiet, he really didn't feel like dealing with this right now; not with her giving him head like this. Feeling her take two more inches of him in her mouth, she began to bob her head up and down, closing her eyes as she focused on pleasing him. He didn't taste that bad, but then again, neither did Rhys. "Well, how about this," He started, leaning forward, much to her excitement as she took more of him inside of her mouth, nearly taking in his entire length. She bobbed her head faster, her tongue gently massaging against his shaft, feeling him twitch in her throat, a bit of pre-cum oozing out of his tip. He was close, and he was not about to have this ruined by an angry old man. "Tell your board to sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up before I put a bullet in each of their skulls," He stated flatly, his eyes holding seriousness as he stared at the paling older man. Nervously, Tediore wiped his forehead with his handkerchief, backing away slowly.

"N-noted. I will inform them of the new time estimate," And with that, Tediore left the office quickly.

Once the doors to his office shut again, Jack leaned back, letting out a moan, his eyes staring down at her closed ones, his left hand running through her hair, gripping the back of her head as he forced her to take in his entire length. "So naughty, Kitten," He purred to her, watching as her eyes snapped open. Despite him forcing his entire length down her throat, she didn't gag - she was used to Rhys doing it to her, and with Jack only being slightly longer than him, it didn't make much of a difference to her -, but rather continued to move her head under his hand, her grey eyes staring up at him with her crimson face, edging him closer and closer to his climax. Tilting his head back against his chair, he groaned, his hand pushing down on her head again, thrusting his hips upward while he held her still, ejaculating in her mouth, hearing her gag slightly. Once he finished, he panted a soft "fuck", watching as she slid him out of her mouth, licking her lips slowly, swallowing his 'gift' to her. She smiled up at him as he hummed in approval, her face staying crimson. She was still aroused, but she did feel a better grip on her bearings now than she did a few minutes ago. Assuming he didn't try anything further, she could possibly hold out until Rhys was off work - or at least, that was her plan.

Standing up, he tucked himself back into his pants, zipping them back up before holding his hand out to her. She peeked up at him, but took it, squeaking when he pulled her up and into his arms, hearing the amusement in his tone. "We haven't danced yet, Pumpkin," He said, staring down at her with his breath-taking grin. Even when she was like this, he remembered that they always danced. Weirdly enough, that made her happy, even in her lustful state - also, who's to say that wouldn't calm her down?

"Is that your way of asking if I want to?" She asked teasingly, smiling when he pressed a button on his ECHO band, their usual, jazz music starting to play.

"It's my way of telling you we're about to dance," He shot back, smirking at her grin, watching as her eyes twinkle in excitement when he gripped her hand softly in his, leading her around his desk, his other hand wrapping around her back, pulling her close to him. Feeling her hand rest against his shoulder, he started to lead them, which she allowed for now, following his movements gracefully as they trotted across the room in perfect synchronicity with each other. Her face did cool off considerably, leaving only a light pink where her crimson cheeks were minutes before, which did make them both relax. Jack hadn't been this active in a long time and needed at least a day or two to get used to her drive, but, either way, it wouldn't take him long. He just needed about a half an hour to let himself rest before going again.

After a few minutes, the music started to come to an end, both of them stopping at their usual spot - in front of his desk. She smiled up at him as they stilled, seeing him give her his shit-eating grin. "You're getting better," She teased, giggling when he scoffed.

"I can't get better than perfect, Baby," He teased back, wiggling his eyebrows at her, laughing when she did. Oh, how he missed this, but he knew that as soon as this week was over, she'd never let him touch her again. Not unless she had to. That's why he had to show her he was better than Rhys. He knew she'd always pick Rhys first, but he wanted to be involved in her life like Rhys was, and even though it wasn't like him to compromise, he knew he'd have to. Had he swallowed his pride when she first saved him, it probably would've been a different story, but he never would've imagined things turned out like this, and if someone had told him it would six months ago, he would've laughed as he shot their face off.

"What's on your mind?" She asked, snapping him out his thoughts. He had been staring down at her for a minute or two. She knew something was on his mind, she just couldn't tell what.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself about, Cupcake," He reassured her, hesitantly pulling away from her. She frowned, gripping him slightly with her hands.

"Let's have another dance," She suggested, smiling up at him, her pearly whites standing out against her rosy lips. She knew dancing would probably take his mind off of whatever was bothering him. He arched a brow at her suggestion. They hardly ever shared more than one dance together, but then again...

"Sure, we'll have another one," He answered, removing his hands from her briefly starting up his Waltz music. Normally, they did the Foxtrot, since it brought them closer together, plus, it was entertaining to watch her keep up with him in her talented footwork. They had danced the Tango twice, but, it wasn't as passionate as the Foxtrot. Maybe it was the music genre difference. The Foxtrot just seemed more intimate to him, and she never complained.

Shrugging his coat off of her shoulders, she set it down on the desk behind her, being mindful to not knock anything off of it, before turning to face him again. Unlike her white dress, this one had sheer sleeves marked with a dark, floral pattern. The dark clothes really did suit her pale complexion, but, he liked yellow on her more. Taking her hand in his, he lightly hugged her back with his hand, her own hand resting lightly against his shoulder as they began to move gracefully away from the desk, him taking the lead again as he twirled them not once, not twice, but four times, both of them pressing against the other as he spun her around the room, neither of them missing a beat. Her dress swirled around her each time he spun her, unable to prevent himself from smiling as she giggled with each twirl. Swinging her back slightly, he quickly twirled her back to him, their footwork impeccable with each strep they took, their feet lining up perfectly. As he twirled her widely, she laughed in delight, meeting each of his steps with her feet between his, neither of them stumbling or tripping over the other. He couldn't help but wonder if he had performed the Waltz with her at the Gala first, would he have been able to let her go or just dance with her the entire night? 

As the music slowed, she smiled up at him, twirling with him a few more times, this time slower than before, both of them slowing when the music came to an end. Although they had danced for nearly thirty minutes, it only felt like five seconds. Both of them leaned away from each other, staring at one another. They did have chemistry between them since earlier, and they both could feel it. Impulsively, Jack wrapped his arms around Adelia's back, his left hand moving toward her waist, pulling her closer to him while she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, meeting him halfway in a heated kiss, both of them determined to rob the other of their breath. She slid her hands into his hair, giving it a gentle tug, her body shuddering when he _actually_ robbed her of her breath, his tongue forcing its way into her mouth. Growing hot from their kiss, she moaned against his lips, needing him again, already.

Pulling away moments later, he stared down at her with that hungry look of his, already aroused from the feel of her soft lips on his. It didn't help that her breasts were pressed firmly against his chest. Or the fact that her rosy buds were pushing inside of her. Or that her face was a bright crimson, those damned grey eyes staring at him so provocatively. He needed her, needed to be inside of her again. There was something about her that just was so irresistible, even for him. 

Apparently, she had similar thoughts, her left hand moving down from her hair, gripping his gradually-hardening cock. He growled lowly, his hands moving down to the back of her thighs, lifting her up with ease. Once she wrapped her legs around his waist, he carried her effortlessly to his desk, setting her down on the edge of it while crashing his lips against hers in a ravenous kiss, hearing her undo his belt buckle with ease, despite returning his kiss. 

No words needed to be said this time. Right now, it was just the two of them, alone, in his office. Prying his lips from hers, he stared down at her, bringing his right hand to her chin, his thumb rubbing along her bottom lip slowly. She parted her lips, her grey, lustful gaze meeting his bi-colored one. "Suck my fingers," He managed to bark out, her mouth opening to obey him, taking his index and middle fingers inside of her mouth, her tongue working talentedly around them, getting them nice and moist. He watched her, allowing his pants to fall as she prepped his fingers, stepping out of them, before pulling his fingers from her mouth, a string of saliva coming from her mouth. He shuddered at how erotic she looked to him right now - drool running down her chin, lips open, waiting, and those eyes staring at him amorously. Not giving a shit about her knocking things off of his desk, he pushed her down carefully by her shoulder, hearing the papers he had signed earlier flutter to the floor, his fingers easily finding her delicate slit, rubbing between her lower lips slowly, teasing her with his slow, rough touch. She moaned, her hands moving to grip the edge of his desk, her eyes keeping contact with his as he finger-fucked her, prepping her for his girth.

Increasing the force of his fingers, he curled them upward, hitting her in the right spot, her back arching while her hips pressing against his hands, loud moans coming from her as she let her head hang back, her grip on his desk tightening. Her walls tightened around his fingers, each thrust hitting her _just_ right, bringing her closer and closer to her climax, but he stopped when she was nearly there, an audible whine coming from her as she let her back rest against the jacket she laid on the desk. Leaning over her, he kissed her jawline, giving it a harsh nibble. "You're not allowed to cum yet," He whispered to her, his hand moving to his girth, using the juices from his fingers to help lube himself up, his hand rubbing his lower head against her soaking slit. If she was going to cum, she was going to cum around him this time. Only around him.

"H-hah, p-please," She gasped out, feeling him pressing against her entrance, but not penetrating her, her hips wiggling slightly against him, needing him inside of her.

"Please, what?" He questioned, his left hand gripping her hip roughly, stilling her.

"Please fuck me!" She exclaimed, her head tilting back as he rammed his entire length inside of her as soon as she declared the words, her eyes shutting as she practically screamed his name out in pleasure. He was waiting for it. He wanted to hear her beg like that. And that scream when he rammed himself inside of her made him shudder in excitement. Sliding himself nearly all the way out of her, he chuckled lowly at her trembling, slamming his member inside of her again, another scream of pleasure coming from her, her legs wrapping around his waist, pulling him further into her, her heart jumping in delight as he moaned out her name in a hushed tone. Moving his hands up her body, he pulled her dress down over her breasts, revealing her perky, rounded breasts to him, his hands grasping them, massaging them talentedly, her rosy buds pressing against the palm of his hands while she withered beneath him, her chest pressing against his hands, her hands moving to grip his wrists, needing to touch him as she moaned his name out. Her body trembled, signaling she was near her limit, her walls clamping down around him, drawing him further in, her moans edging higher and higher in volume.

Looking down at her, he couldn't help but love how delectable she was in that moment - that red face, those moans that he longed to hear for so long, filling his memory of this moment, and those _fucking_ grey eyes of hers, staring up at him, half-lidded, begging for permission to cum. He grew harder inside of her, nearing his own climax. He could hear the sound of their skin meeting as he increased his aggression, the sound echoing in the room. Moving his left hand up, he gripped her throat, squeezing her veins lightly, but being mindful of her windpipe as he held her down, leaning down, his lips kissing against her jawline. "Cum for me, Adelia," He whispered into her ear soon after he kissed her jaw, her body shuddering as she screamed his name out, her body obeying his commands, climaxing for him, her hands moving to grip his hand around her throat, digging her nails into it ever so slightly. After a few more rough thrusts, he slowed his hips, his forehead resting against her shoulder as he moaned, his thrusts hitting her hard and deeply, releasing himself inside of her. Once he finished pumping his seed out, his hand grew lax against her throat, but not moving, both of them panting with one another, their eyes both shut, processing the pleasure they both just went through. Carefully, he slid himself out of her, her legs relaxing from around his waist as she let out a sharp gasp. Once again, he had her thighs throbbing, but she didn't mind it.

She shakily moved to stand up as Jack adjusted himself back inside of his pants, his belt jingling while he adjusted his pants, his gaze flickering over to her, staring at her, watching as she bashfully tucked her breasts back into her dress before pulling it back down. She felt gross. She wanted to shower and clean up, but she knew she couldn't here. "Can we go home?" She asked softly, hearing him chuckle.

"Soon, I just have to check the prototypes again and we'll be on our way, Cupcake." She nodded her head, finding herself squirming under his gaze. He knew she was a clean freak - he had learned that within the first month of living with her -, but to see her act bashful and shy after getting a ride to pound town was a whole new level of adorableness. Gripping her leash, he pulled it taunt once again, forcing her to look up at him. "Once we get home," He started, tugging her closer to him, "I'll make it up to you," He promised, a chill running up her spine. He was _already_ thinking about another round? This man was insatiable, just as the doctor had said all those months ago.

Once they collected the papers from the floor, they made their way out of the office, Jack's jacket back on her as he led her out, but not holding her leash this time. The secretary had spun around as Jack left the office, grinning as she adjusted her breasts in the very obviously stuffed bra, her grin falling into a scowl, staring at Adelia who ventured out behind him, turning to look at the wall of artwork.

"I suggest you stop glaring at her like that if you value your pathetic life," Jack warned, slamming the papers down on the woman's desk, a murderous glint in his eyes as she nodded her head quickly. 

* * *

_**Back at the house... (4:00 PM)** _

Despite Jack tossing five men out an airlock for looking at her, they made it home. There was still about an hour until Rhys would be home, and much to her pleasure, Jack had agreed to let her shower alone, but it wasn't a relaxing shower. She spent the whole time thinking; thinking about her mother and her father. Her people. So much to think about that she hadn't thought about in months. Running her hands through her hair, she rinsed out the shampoo, closing her eyes, thinking back to the few women who were pregnant during the uprising. She watched them be murdered in front of her and it infuriated her all over again. She was the last natural-born Siren, but there were a few children born after her. They just were more human than Eridian. She remembered delivering them and seeing the joy on the mothers' faces as they held their child. Then, she remembered the same mothers begging for her to take their children with her when she fled, and she wanted to, but she couldn't. They wouldn't have survived with her, no matter how much of her power she used to protect them in stasis. Then the pregnant mothers. Their murders bothered her the most. They had tried so long to get pregnant, and when they finally did, it got ripped right from them. She made sure to monitor their pregnancies and help them through everything so the child had the highest viability rate toward the end, but it was all for naught, and that bothered her the most. Had she not blessed that one child with powers, she would've been able to live a long life, and to top it all off, the Eridians would probably still be alive, but she was naive and young. The human she blessed with powers had grown up with her. The betrayal when she started an uprising would never go away, nor would the pain of killing her, and knowing how that person was, she would compose the history of the uprising as something to be blamed on the Eridians. It was a long few years of the way and she had tried her best to keep the planet and her people safe, but it was too late. When she had sealed the Destroyer, she won over the Eridians, only to leech their lives from them with no remorse. They were all tainted by her, and Adelia couldn't save any of them. She hated herself for it; she failed her people. She took a shaky breath, turning the water off slowly. That was in the past. She needed to accept that she had failed and was given a second chance to save her planet.

She looked down at her slightly chubby stomach, rubbing it hesitantly. If she did end up pregnant... She'd deal with it then. She didn't want to be and she wasn't sure how Rhys or Jack would react about it, and she certainly couldn't ask Rhys to help if it was Jack's, or vice versa. It wouldn't be right. _Assuming Rhys doesn't leave me after this..._ She thought to herself, running her hands slowly through her hair, freezing. Rhys. He didn't feel hurt or anything close to it earlier the second time Jack had been with her, but there was one thing that he did feel - relief. Why? Was he getting used to this? Did he accept it? No. That couldn't be it. Rhys had always been incredibly jealous of Jack. But, maybe, he did understand it wasn't uncommon in her time? They did have talks about it frequently, and, he said he'd work on it accepting it as best as he could. She sighed loudly, she felt selfish for asking that of him. He didn't ask for any of this.

Shaking her head, she snapped out of her thoughts. If she kept feeling like this, Rhys would be seriously concerned and probably leave early, and she knew he was in the process of working on contracts with the Hyperion-Tediore guns coming out soon. He couldn't be distracted by her feelings. She'd talk to him tonight. Stepping out of the shower, she wrapped the yellow towel around her body, her hands carefully putting her long hair up in a bun. She really needed to get her hair cut, and soon. She'd do it herself, but she was by no means a hairstylist. She needed someone else to do it. Turning the light off in the bathroom, she walked across the hall to Rhys and her's bedroom, leaving the door slightly cracked behind her as she knelt down, digging through the closet for one of his shirts she hid.

Unbeknownst to her, Jack was leaning against the doorway, watching her rummage around with her ass up in the air. "I was coming to tell you that the laundry bots finished the laundry, but I appreciate the show, Cupcake," He said, scaring her. She jumped slightly, hitting her head on a shelf in the closet, rubbing her head as she shot him a glare, getting to her feet.

"Was that necessary?" She asked, walking over to him, staring up at him with squinted eyes.

"Abso-friggin-lutely," He teased, smirking down at her, his heterochromatin eyes staring at her cleavage pushing up from the towel. Yellow really was such a lovely color on her.

"You're such an asshole."

"Ah-ah, language," He corrected her, moving out of her way when she stormed through the doorway, following behind her, his eyes following her ass with each step she took. He'd be lying if he said he was still in the mood, but just because he wasn't didn't mean he couldn't check out her body. Picking up her and Rhys's clothes off of the dryer, she brushed past him again, only this time, he stayed in the living room, taking his seat on the couch.

Once she had put away their clothes, she slipped out of her towel, putting on her boyshorts she left out, making a mental note to ask Rhys to take her shopping for more underwear. After she slipped those on, she pulled her (Rhys's) red, oversized shirt over her head. She always loved to wear this one, it still smelled like him, even after all the washing - she secretly wondered if he purposely sprayed it with his cologne every so often so it continued to smell like him, but she'd never ask him something as ridiculous as that. Picking her ECHO off of the entertainment center, she walked out of their room, closing the door behind her, making her way to the living room.

Sitting down on the couch next to Jack, she pulled her legs up, resting her knees against the back of it, powering up her ECHO with a hum. "Somebody's in a good mood," Jack said, turning the television on for background noise. He had the hologram from his ECHO watch out, reading through emails he had been too distracted to read, sending replies off with ease. Most of them were just information about the Opportunity updates, stating the turrets had been installed and were undergoing testing, the initial frame for his new office was now underway after his earlier email, etc.

"I just feel better after showering," She responded, playing on the meteor game. He grinned, making an amused hum before returning to his emails. It was about time for Rhys to come home, and also time for his cheesy broccoli casserole to be finished cooking. Since she took such a long shower, he used the time to prep and start dinner, though, he had most of everything pre-prepped after last night - all he had to do was bake it. He hadn't made it in a long time, in fact, he couldn't remember the last time he made it, but he knew it was a decent energy reviver, at least for him.

Turning his ECHO band off, he stood up as the timer on the stove dinged, Rhys walking through the door right as it went off. He didn't even glance back as he made his way into the kitchen, pulling dinner out of the oven carefully. He didn't want to watch her face light up when she saw him walk in.

And just as Jack had expected, Adelia's face did light up when she saw Rhys walk through the door, all of his worries instantly melting when he laid eyes on her breathtaking smile. She stood up, running over to him, giggling when he caught her in his arms, chuckling with her. "I missed you," She whispered to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I missed you, too, Baby," He whispered back to her, closing the door behind them before wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him in a tight embrace. Leaning back from him, she smiled up at him, meeting him halfway in a sweet, gentle kiss. 

"Did you have a good day?" She asked, running her hands down his chest, adjusting his vest.

"It would've been better with you," He responded, kissing her forehead softly. 

"Hey lovebirds, dinner's ready," Jack called out, already annoyed at Rhys touching her like that, but he had to compromise and accept it. Those were her terms, after all. He'd have to get used to it all over again. Fixing himself a plate, he sat down in his usual spot, taking a bite of his dinner. He and Adelia had skipped lunch earlier and he was undoubtedly starving after their activities. Fixing her own plate, Rhys fixed one behind her, both of them sitting in their usual spots, eating quietly. "So, Rhysie, how's the coding for my improved death turrets coming along?" He asked, his bi-colored gaze staring at Rhys.

"Almost finished on it, there are just a few more lines I need to look over," Rhys said, grinning as Jack nodded in understanding. Even if he didn't think as highly of Jack as he once did, he did still think highly of him. "I should have it done by tomorrow evening, assuming the test round goes well."

"Good, good. I'm ready to friggin' test them out," He said, grinning when he took another bite. Adelia said nothing, just quietly ate. She was starving. And she needed to have a talk with Rhys which made her even more nervous.

After dinner, Rhys headed off to shower while Adelia stayed in the kitchen to help Jack clean up. "What's on your mind, Pumpkin?" He asked, drying the dishes as she finished washing them.

She stayed quiet for a moment, letting out a long sigh. "Nothing you probably have to worry about," She said, explaining it in the vaguest, confusing way she could.

He arched a brow, setting the drying towel down, staring at her. "I think you should explain better than that."

"Nobody asked what you think," She snapped at him, his eyes blinking slowly at the sudden attitude. She had always been a little snappy with him over certain things, but nothing like this. Something had to seriously be bothering her. She seemed to realize what she did, bringing her right hand up to her face, rubbing her eyes slowly. "Sorry. I'm sorry," She mumbled.

"You're lucky I like you," Jack teased, placing his hand over her left one, staring down at her. "What has you hot and bothered?"

She bit the inside of her mouth. Did she want to have this talk with Jack? Knowing it could set him over the edge? She pulled her hand down, staring at him cautiously. She was guarding herself, and he could see that. She'd tell half the truth. "I was just thinking about my life before, that's all. It put me in a pretty bad mood, I'm sorry," She finally said, patting his hand with her free hand, smiling up at him falsely. He clicked his tongue quietly to himself. He could smell the bullshit coming off of her.

"That's not everything." She froze, her smile falling at his words. He had seen right through her. "I knew it," He said, squeezing her hand lightly. "Kitten, you know you can talk to me, right? I may like to murder bandits, but if I were going to friggin' kill ya, I would've done it before now."

She couldn't help but let out a soft giggle. He was just as terrible with comforting people as she was. "I'm worried," She finally murmured out.

"About?"

"I might actually... get pregnant," She said hesitantly, her eyes slowly shifting up from his hand on hers to his face, seeing him stand there, expressionless. He had forgotten all about that when he got caught up with her earlier. "I'm sure it's just mindless worrying, though. I was just thinking about it. I've never actually had someone with me during my cycle, so I never had to worry before," She rambled sheepishly. He couldn't say anything. He just stared at her. The doctor did give her a shot six months ago, but... With her body, there's no promise that it was still effective. 

"What?" Rhys said, standing in the archway leading to the kitchen. She tensed, turning her head to see him standing there, the same expression on his face as Jack had.

She couldn't help but feel like mistakes were made. But, mistakes were in fact, not made, much to her surprise. "Addy, that's-"

"That's amazing," Jack finally said, rubbing his chin slowly. Assuming she _did_ in fact get pregnant, he could monitor the baby to see how Eridians are as children, and what powers they possess.

Adelia blinked slowly. This wasn't going how she expected at all. "What-"

"You told us last night you could get pregnant during your cycle," Rhys said, taking a seat on the stool, staring at her. She did? She had forgotten all about telling them that. Last night was such a blur after her cycle had hit. "We went into this knowing that it was a possibility. Small, but it's still there."

"Yeah, Pumpkin, we already know," Jack repeated, unable to hide his smirk. He had never seen her get confused, so seeing her gears in her brain trying to process was entertaining to watch. "Rhysie and I already talked about it last night, after you fell asleep."

She blinked, staring at Rhys for confirmation. Sheepishly, Rhys slowly nodded his head. "If you do get pregnant, then we'll figure it out, together." They weren't lying. They both were interested in learning more about the Eridians, and with her being the last one left, it only drew their curiosity further. Neither one of them actually wanted to be a father, but, if it's what she wanted, then they'd adjust. Plus, Jack was curious about running experiments on the child. Nothing harsh, just endurance and intelligence tests - he wasn't a monster.

"But-"

"It's a low chance, anyway, right?" Rhys continued, cutting her off. "It's not something you need to stress yourself out about."

"I agree with Champ. You don't need to stress out about it," Jack said, leaning back against the counter. He was oddly calm about it completely. He knew this was a lot to get into, and he had sworn off children after his first wife, but... He was drawn to the idea of seeing one come from Adelia. Maybe because he could use it as a means to further increase Hyperion's reach, as dark as that sounds. Either way, he was fine with whatever outcome there was; after taking the next step with her today, he had realized and accepted his feelings for her. It also probably didn't help that he was starting to think like a logical person again, though, he did still get set off easy.

She smiled at their words, her grey eyes twinkling with joy. They were okay with it. They _knew_ it was a possibility. She did have the shot, so she knew it was even less likely, but the chance was still there. Only time would tell.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Two Months Summary.** _

The Hyperion-Tediore guns had been a bigger hit than Jack or Tediore had expected, both of them now millions richer than before. Adelia's ovulation cycle ended four days later, much to everyone's pleasure. They were all worn out from it, especially Rhys - he had to deal with her feeding from him much more than usual. Jack didn't mind it that much, and over the course of the week, she did get closer to him, and she had even talked to Rhys about it, but Rhys assured her he understood. She was still insecure trying to accept it, but he had been with her through it all. He wasn't about to abandon ship over something like this - he loved her, and would do anything to make sure she was happy. In addition to that, Jack had warmed up more to Rhys. Instead of calling him the 'stupid code monkey', it was just 'Champ'. Unless he was angry. Then it was 'stupid code monkey' again. Just as Rhys had adjusted, Jack also did. He still was jealous and angry that he had to share what should've rightfully been his, but it was too late for him to change that now.

Of course, she was showing signs of pregnancy, but she hadn't told either of them. It wasn't uncommon for Eridians to go through the symptoms of pregnancy when recovering from their ovulation cycle. Rhys had woken up a few nights to hear her vomiting in the bathroom, and even went to hold her hair up, and Jack had noticed she was more tired than usual, which could be a big problem, considering the celebration Gala coming up. Rhys and Jack suspected it, but every time they tried to bring it up, she just dismissed it, saying she just wasn't feeling well. But Jack had been through this before. Assuming she was pregnant, they had to hide it until the war with Maliwan had been over and won. Opportunity was already ready for the attack and had already started taking out the Maliwan camps nearby for trespassing, leaving Katagawa in a rage, but he couldn't say Jack attacked him first. He _was_ on Jack's property. Her and Rhys's sex life had also had a nosedive. She kept saying she wasn't feeling well and needed to rest. This, of course, also means that her being anything romantic with Jack was long gone. Now that she wasn't in a lustful mindset, she barely did anything with him beyond dancing. Which upset him. Every time he tried to kiss her in his office, she'd just turn her head and say a soft 'sorry'. Both he and Rhys were frustrated. She had a sudden shift and wouldn't open up to them.

Maliwan hadn't made another attack on Hyperion or on Pandora, despite losing their troops around Opportunity. After their last encounter, Lilith had been in contact, keeping them updated. The Maliwan army had moved in on Sanctuary and were readying the attack, but none had been made yet. The Crimson Raiders had been taking out any Maliwan troops stepping too close to Sanctuary, but she said Adelia's assumption was correct. They were trying to turn them against each other, but Adelia wasn't surprised. She knew it'd probably happen as such. Katagawa Junior had offered money, guns, and had even tried to bribe them into rebuilding Sanctuary to be better, but they didn't budge. Lilith and Adelia were both stronger than Maliwan alone, and together, they could easily be an unstoppable force.

_**Modern Day - November 30th -12:50 PM**_

Adelia sat on the edge of Jack's desk, singing softly to herself as she stared out the giant windows facing Elpis. Jack had left to have a meeting with the Tediore executives and had asked her to stay here until he could get her to Rhys. She was much stronger now than she had been, but they still insisted on babying her. Reaching the end of her song, she let out a quiet sigh, glancing down at her stomach. She had learned a month ago she wasn't pregnant, and weirdly enough, that upset her. Jack and Rhys had been so excited to possibly be fathers, but she was relieved she wasn't. She felt guilty for feeling that way, but she wasn't ready for kids. She still wasn't even sure if she wanted them or if she'd make a decent mother after what happened before. She had been extremely standoffish to both Jack and Rhys, trying to process her feelings, but she knew she couldn't keep this up. The end of her symptoms was steadily approaching. Just a few more days.

Starting on another song, she sang the lullaby her mother used to sing to her as a child, smiling sadly. For some reason, she kept thinking of her more and more these days. She had so many questions, but nobody she could ask. She had Rhys and Jack, but it wasn't the same. Strangely, she started to feel lonely lately. She wanted to go back to Pandora and visit her creations, but Jack had told her no, not until she was feeling better, and she just didn't have the energy to fight with him. Thankfully, though, Rhys had taken her out and had her hair cut. What once was nearly floor-length hair was now just below her ears, nearly reaching her shoulders, her curls still very apparent and her bangs shortened, but still held a slight curl to it. She felt naked without her long hair, but the look when Rhys had seen her with this short style made her heart pound in her chest. He looked so in love with her every time he looked at her. Jack also had a similar reaction, but it was much milder than Rhys. The weather had grown colder and Rhys took this as a chance to take her shopping. She now had more leggings and a couple of sweaters, and _definitely_ more underwear. She didn't want the same thing to happen again that had happened before.

"Addy," Rhys whispered behind her, breaking her out of her trance. she had forgotten all about being in Jack's office. She stopped singing and turned around quickly, seeing Rhys standing there. "I came to get you, Jack said he'll be another few hours," He continued, stepping closer to her. She blushed, looking away from him sheepishly. Ever since her ovulation cycle, she had felt shy around him and Jack, but mostly him.

"Rhysie," She finally said, glancing at him again. He smiled at her, stepping around the desk, placing his hands on both sides of her, keeping her there.

"What's the matter, Baby?" He asked her quietly, his face filled with worry, a soft hum coming from him as his ECHO eye shut down. He had noticed her be colder to her lately and he didn't understand why, and that sad expression on her face and sad tone in her voice when she was singing didn't reassure him any. "Talk to me."

"I..." She started, frowning. "I'm not pregnant," She murmured, his face flooding with relief. Wait. Relief?

"Oh, thank God," He said, unable to hide the relief in his voice. "I was so worried. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He questioned her, keeping his gaze on her.

"Why do you seem oddly relieved that I'm not?" She questioned back, squinting at him, avoiding his question.

"I... I don't want to see you risk your health for a baby," He whispered to her, referring to what happened to her mother. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

She couldn't stop herself from smiling at his words, her hands cupping his cheeks gently. Even through everything, he was still just as sweet as ever. "I didn't tell you because I didn't know how you'd react. You and Jack seemed so excited that it was a possibility, and I-"

"Addy, you could never upset me with something like that," He shushed her, moving his hands to cup her cheeks, his metal hand cold against her skin, making her shiver slightly. "I was more worried that you weren't attracted to me anymore."

"What? Why would you think that?"

"You've been really distant lately," He stated cautiously. "You haven't really... been intimate with me. And I don't just mean the lack of sex. You just... Shut us out. Jack and I, I mean. He's been worried, too. You stopped talking to us past a few words, when we lay down, you don't cuddle me as tight as you used to. I've been so worried."

She stared up at him, feeling a pang of guilt. She hadn't realized she was being distant. "I'm sorry," She whispered, her thumbs brushing against his cheeks slowly. "I didn't mean to, I've just been thinking about my past a lot."

He frowned. That explained a lot. "Baby, don't apologize," He reassured her, resting his forehead lightly against hers, his brown gaze meeting her grey one. "I love you. You don't have to go through it alone. I'm here for you," He continued, her heart fluttering at his sweet words. He had a point. She didn't have to face this alone anymore.

"I love you," She whispered back to him, sliding her hands into his hair, bringing his head down to meet him halfway in a sweet, loving kiss, which he happily returned, his hands slowly moving from her cheeks. It had been so long since she kissed him like this.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her closer to him, a low groan coming from him when she tugged on his hair lightly. Breaking their kiss, he stared down at her reddened cheeks, a smirk on his face. It made him happy to see her blush like this for him again. "No more secrets. If there's something on your mind, I want you to tell me," He whispered to her, smiling when she nodded, her breath-taking smile doing exactly that - taking his breath away. It had been so long since she smiled like that. "Come on, we should go to my office before Jack has an aneurysm. That secretary of his has it out for you."

"I already know," She said, rolling her eyes. The secretary had been less than subtle with trying to start shit between her and Jack since she called him 'Daddy' in front of her. She wondered why Jack kept her around when it clearly pissed him off, but she never asked; she just assumed Jack wasn't aware of the abuse happening from her.

She squealed as Rhys picked her up, carrying her bridal style, his cold, metallic arm under her clothed thighs as she smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She could feel how happy he was to see her smile again. She hadn't realized how bad she had been to him or Jack and made a mental note to fix it with Jack later. For now, she needed to fix things with Rhys.

"Oh, look, the whore's finally leaving," The secretary said, filing her nails, blowing a bubble with her gum. Rhys rolled his eyes, but Adelia gripped his vest, wiggling out of his arms.

"First of all," She said, stepping closer to the tall, blonde woman, her rage building up, making Rhys shrink back. He remembered how she was when she got angry with Lilith. And she wasn't exactly mentally sound right now from the sounds of it. This was bad. Very bad. The blonde just popped the bubble at Adelia, not even batting an eye. "I don't know what your deal is with me, but you can drop the attitude."

"Oh yeah? And who's gonna make me? Gonna have your _Daddy_ threaten me again?" She asked, Rhys rapidly typing a message to Jack. He'd only seen Adelia use violence once, but this rage she was feeling was a completely new, built up one. Whatever this woman did to her, it really had her furious, and he wasn't about to get caught in the crossfire. He barely knew how to shoot a gun. 

"Threaten you? If he threatened you, that was on his own," She said, the anger boiling up. "You've been giving me shit since the day I came here, and all because Jack won't give you the time of the day? How pathetic."

The blonde slammed her hands down, shoving a pointed nail into Adelia's clothed chest. "Jack would've been all mine if you hadn't interfered," She hissed, seething with jealousy. "News flash, sweetheart, everyone wants him. He's _Handsome Jack_ , the universe's richest bachelor."

"And, would you look at that," Adelia said, gripping the woman's finger, breaking it with ease, a blood-curdling scream coming from her. She was furious. She couldn't control herself. All of her pent up rage from back then was boiling up. "There's the true reason you want him," She stepped closer, the woman rearing her other hand back, getting ready to slap her. "Y'know what I hate?" Rhys felt chills run down his spine. He wanted to approach Adelia, but he knew better. "I hate people like you. Gold digging sluts only in it for the power."

"Aren't you the same?" The woman said through clenched teeth, yanking her hand out of her grip. "You come here with nothing but the shirt on your back and you live with him and spend almost every moment with him. You're just as much of a gold digger. A filthy bandit from Pandora."

That pissed her off, the glint in her eyes showing no mercy. "I'm nothing like you," she said, her voice cold.   
"Addy, don't-" Before he could finish, she sent the other woman back against the wall with a flick of her finger, her markings now fully visible. Thankfully, not many people came on this floor, since it was exclusively for Handsome Jack.

"She's a siren?!" The woman said, fear washing over her. Rhys moved closer to her but stopped when he saw Jack round the corner. He was terrified. He didn't know the first thing about how to calm her down.

"Little bitches like you," She started, holding her finger up, a dark hand appearing on the other woman's neck as she screamed in fear. "Don't deserve the air you breathe," As she finished talking, she started to bend her finger, the blonde's head starting to turn forcefully, stopping only when Jack grasped her hand, holding it still.

"Jesus Christ. I leave you alone for thirty friggin' minutes and you nearly kill someone," He said in an amused tone, ignoring the begging from the woman pinned against the wall. "As sexy as it is, I'm gonna need you to let her go, Pumpkin. We both know you'd regret it later."

Adelia could feel the fear coming from Rhys, her grip on the other woman releasing, letting her land with a harsh thud against the ground. She lost her cool. The last time she ever lost her cool with _her_ in the Vault. Jack was right, she would regret it, no matter how annoying this woman was. She made a visible look of disgust as the blonde woman crawled over to Jack, "That filthy bandit tried to kill me! Aren't you going to do something?!"

Jack didn't say anything as he walked her over to Rhys. "Get her out of here," He said, his eyes holding a murderous glint. Walking back to the woman, he pulled his pistol out, pointing it between the woman's eyes. "I'm pretty fuckin' sure I warned ya."

Adelia bit the inside of her cheek as Rhys led her away, a single gunshot echoing down the corridor, Rhys making a face, cringing from the noise. "Rhys, I'm sorry," She whispered, gripping his arm lightly. She could still feel the fear coming off of him.

"N-no, I'm sorry," He said shakily, looking down at her. "I should've stopped you before then. I just... never seen you that angry. It scared me."

"I don't usually get that angry," She mumbled, looking away from him. He stopped, looking at the storage room door next to him. Pulling her into it, he shut and locked the door behind them, her eyes wide as she stared up at him. "Rhysie?"

"I'm sorry," He whispered to her again, his arms wrapping tightly around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. She sniffled, tears coming to her eyes as the reality set in that she _almost_ killed someone else, her arms wrapping underneath his arms, holding his back tightly. "You're not alone, Addy, we've got your back," He promised in a hushed tone, feeling her body tremble as she let out a soft sob. She had held in all of her pain in for the last two months, and he could feel that with each quiet sob that came from her. It made his heart hurt.

"I just..." She said, taking a deep breath, biting back another sob. "It's my fault so many people died."

"There's nothing you could've done," He reassured her, feeling her grip his back as she sobbed against him, the tears making his jacket wet. "You did everything you could. All we can do is move forward." Never would he have thought she blamed herself for what happened in her time. He wished he could take that pain from her and make things better for her, but he knew he couldn't. She really had no chance to grieve her people, based on the timeline she laid out for them. Once she went into the Vault, she was charging keys and slowly draining herself more and more with each day that passed, then, after a year or two of being alone, trying to salvage what she could, she was found out by the same person who killed her family and killed her in a blind rage, then, she fled deeper into the Vault, putting herself in a deep slumber. The same person that had been her best friend since they were children. He understood her hurt. The reality of what had happened must've settled in after her ovulation cycle since she flipped on them then.

"I'm sorry," She whispered through her sobs, his grip on her tightening. He knew she was hurt, but he would've never guessed she was this broken. But that was okay. They were in this, together. She wouldn't be alone anymore.

"Stop apologizing, Baby," He whispered to her, moving his left hand up, slowly running it through her hair. She sniffled again, slowly leaning back from him, his hand cupping her face gingerly, slowly wiping away her tears with his thumb. "We're in this together now. We'll get through it."

"You're right... I have you now," She smiled up at him, her smile still holding her slight fear. She was still worried he'd leave her, and he felt it. The fear of abandonment. But, for better or worse, he had made up his mind when he chose to mark himself for her.

"I love you, Adelia," He said to her, resting his forehead against hers lightly as if it would show her how much love he felt for her at that particular moment. And it did, she could feel the caring, sad feeling he felt for her. The love he felt for her.

"I love you, too, Rhys," She said back to him, her smile widening as she closed her eyes, enjoying the gentle kiss he placed on her lips, which she happily returned. In that kiss, he could feel all the fear she had felt the last two months; the fear of being left alone again, the fear of losing him and Jack, but most of all, he felt the loneliness she felt. The crushing feeling of regret. 

But all of that melted away as their kiss grew more passionate. It had been two weeks since they were last together, and they'd both be lying if they said they weren't interested in it right now. His hands slipped down, edging into her dark grey leggings, gripping her ass roughly, a faint moan coming from her, her hands tangling in his hair. They wanted, no, they _needed_ each other.

"I need you," He panted out, her head nodding in agreeance, her lips taking his on them once again.

_**AN: Smut.**_

Edging his hands under the waistband of her leggings, he edged them off, thankful she had chosen not to wear underwear today as they hit the ground, her hands working quickly on his belt, soft moans coming from her as he kissed the right side of her neck, leaving quite a few marks on her, each mark earning him a quiet whimper. Freeing him from his pants, she stepped out of hers, his hands moving around her thighs, pressing her against the wall by his hips, his erection pressing firmly against her slowly-dampening flower, a hushed moan coming from her, feeling his arms lift her up by her thighs, her legs wrapping around his waist tightly while her arms rested on his shoulders, edging under his shirts, holding herself up. Using his hips to hold her up, he slowly slid his hands under her red and black sweater, the two different sensations running across her skin making her flood with goosebumps - the cool, metal touch on one side while the warm, fleshy touch on the other -, both hands helping hold her up. She loved it every time he touched her in such a sweet manner, and this time was no exception. Once he reached her breasts, he pulled her sweater over her bust, his lips pressing against her jawline, giving it a soft nibble.

Bringing his left hand to her mouth, he brushed his fingers against her lips, her mouth opening, welcoming his finger in, her tongue masterly lubricating his fingers. He moved his right arm to her thigh, holding her up, the cool metal making her shiver ever so slightly. He grinned, his brown eyes meeting her grey ones, her red face as she sucked and licked at his fingers turning him on more. It'd been a long two months. And although he didn't like the idea of Jack sharing her at first, it did give him an idea of how kinky he could get with her without overstepping. He had been extremely shy about it before, but now, he was more than willing to experiment with her. Plus, Jack helped out _a lot._ She was insatiable that week. Both of the men were exhausted by the end of it. 

Pulling his fingers from her mouth, she wiggled her hips against his in excitement, feeling his hand brush past her lower lips, inhaling sharply when he pressed his fingers against her little button, rubbing it slowly with his index finger, his middle finger rubbing along her slit slowly, teasing her as she wiggled her hips against his finger, quiet moans coming from her with each move he made on her clit. It had been far too long - she was extra sensitive to his touch. "I love you," He whispered into her ear, his teeth taking her earlobe in his mouth giving it a playful, soft suckle, her body trembling. She needed him inside of her. He kissed the side of her neck in that one spot that drove her crazy.

"Please," She begged quietly, feeling his lips smile against her neck. She didn't have to say it back. He knew she loved him. Biting down on her neck, he gave her skin a rough suckle, a whimper coming from her again as he moved his hand away from her slit, positioning himself against her, running his length against her, lubricating himself, before pressing his tip against her entrance, slowly penetrating her, both of them having hushed moans escape their lips. She was tight, her muscles welcoming him in as he slowly started to move his hips, his lips capturing hers, hushing her moans. 

Biting down on his bottom lip, he slid most of himself out before ramming it back inside of her, her entire body jolting as a loud moan started to come from her, only for it to be silenced by his lips again, a few moans coming from him as her muscles tightened around him, squeezing his girth. He broke their kiss, both of them panting with hushed moans after a few breaths, his hips rocking at a steady speed. He couldn't be as rough with her as he would've liked - she gets too loud and he didn't want an audience outside the door when they finished -, but that was fine with her. She enjoyed this slow, passionate way just as much as any other time; as long as it was with him, she was satisfied. 

After a few more steady thrusts, he couldn't help himself, his hips moving more aggressively against her, her arms wrapping tightly around his back as she moaned his name out, his lips seizing hers before she could moan any louder. Moving his left hand grasping her other thigh, holding her steady as he slammed his hips inside of her, his thrusts growing more aggressive by the second, feeling her muscles pulsate around him. They were both close to reaching their climax, and their increased passion in their kisses was a definite telltale sign. Both of them were trying to keep the other quiet as they both grew in volume with their moans, her legs squeezing his waist tightly as she suddenly reached her climax, her muscles grasping his girth snugly, her body shuddering as he slowed his thrusts, slowly pumping his hips as he ejaculated inside of her, both of them reaching their limits at the same time, just like before, her right hand brushing against his marks, feeling her body slowly rejuvenate the energy she had just spent.

Once Rhys had pulled himself from her and they caught their breaths (and shared quite a few more kisses and 'I love you's), she hummed to herself, pulling her leggings on while Rhys jingled his pants behind her, adjusting himself. They both in a better mood than before - it had been so long since they were close like that, and although it was weird timing, they needed that. Once he buckled his belt, he watched her bend over, adjusting the legs of her leggings, his eyes locking on her round ass. Walking over to her, he gave her ass a firm slap, a quiet yelp coming from her as she stood up quickly, squinting at him.

"Was that necessary, Babe?" She asked.

"Very much so," He responded with a grin. 

She rolled her eyes, sliding her hands up his arms slowly, smiling up at him. "I'm sorry I've been so distant. I'll work on it," She spoke softly, her cheeks flushing a light pink under his stare.

"I'm not mad, Addy. I just would like to know when something bothers you from now on," He responded just as softly, his hands holding her hips lightly. 

"I'll work on letting you know more when something bothers me," She promised, her smile growing as he leaned down, giving her lips a quick peck. 

And with that, they opened the door, making their way to his office, hand in hand, Rhys giving her an update on everything Jack had him working on now. The day he would be leaving for Promethea was slowly approaching. Jack would be announcing it at the Gala in the next couple of days, which meant, her contact with Rhys would be more limited than it was now, but she'd definitely try to sneak off to see him.

_**AN: Smut over** _

* * *

_**Back at home... (6:50 PM)** _

After eating the dinner Adelia had cooked, Rhys headed off to shower, leaving her and Jack to clean up - as usual. Rhys had tried to clean up, but Jack said he was too slow and "too clumsy" with his cybernetic arm when it came to water. "Dinner was good," Jack said, handing Adelia the dishes to dry as he washed them. 

"Thank you," She said sheepishly. She still needed to fix her relationship with Jack.

"So, Cupcake," He started, turning the water off once all the dishes were washed. "Wanna tell me what the _fuck_ happened earlier?" She stayed quiet, drying off the last plate. How could she even explain it to him? He seemed angry.

"She called me a bandit and I lost my cool," She finally said, shrugging her shoulders. Jack arched a brow, staring at her. Her? A bandit? She hated them just as much as he did - hell, maybe even more. "Plus, she was trying to be a gold-digging bitch."

Jack covered his mouth, holding in his laughter. The way she said that so nonchalantly was strangely hilarious to him. "Aw, what's wrong, Kitten? Scared I won't spoil you anymore?"

"Oh, please," She rolled her eyes, a small smile on her face. 

"I can't lie though, that was pretty friggin' hot. If I knew you wouldn't have regretted it, I would've let you finish her off. She was really fucking annoying. And a bitch. An annoying bitch."

She giggled at his description of her, watching as he took the dried plates from her, setting them in the cabinet above the sink. "Why did you keep her around so long if she was annoying?"

"It was fun to see you get angry when she started shit with you," He said, giving her his shit-eating grin. She smacked his arm with the drying towel, glaring up at him as he laughed. "She had piss for brains, Baby doll. It was amusing to watch her fail on trivial tasks. But watching you get angry was even more entertainment."

"You're such an _asshole_ ," She retorted, setting the neatly folded drying towel down, making her way to the living room with him right behind her. 

"Ah-ah, language," He said, already knowing she rolled her eyes (she did).

Sitting down on the couch, she pulled her legs up, letting them stretch out into the next seat, staring at him when he sat down with her in his usual spot. Ever since Hyperion officially released the new models, his attention shifted completely to Opportunity and Maliwan. They repeatedly tried to set up a base near his city, but they always were slaughtered. Their own fault, really. "As much as I love the attention, what's on your mind, Kitten?" He asked, looking over at her, grinning when she flushed a light pink. 

"Well, I uh..." She paused, seeing him arch a brow, his gaze piercing through her. "I just want to apologize for being distant with you and Rhys lately. I had a lot on my mind."

"I figured ya had some shit goin' on, Pumpkin. I wasn't worried about it," He lied. She squinted at him - she knew he was lying, and he knew he was, too. He was worried. Extremely worried. After her ovulation cycle ended, she stopped talking beyond a few words, her dancing was more sluggish and messier than usual, and she was extremely exhausted. He could see that in her face, even if she reassured them she was fine. Not to mention, he could hear her vomiting every night and even had to carry her back to her bed on quite a few occasions since she frequently passed out on the floor. Rhys helped sometimes, but for the most part, he couldn't hear her since the room was soundproof, and with Jack's room being behind the bathroom (even though the thick walls), he could still hear her. When he laid down with her in the mornings after Rhys left, she barely cuddled him and often turned away from him, barely touching him - which, doesn't seem like a big deal, but when she practically laid on top of him up until then, it was. To top it all off, she had been extremely touchy while in her cycle, but now that she wasn't, she didn't even kiss him or anything, despite how close they had gotten over that week, so for her to go from being comfortable to suddenly being standoffish to him _and_ Rhys, it was worrying.

"You're lying."

"Me? _Nooo_ , I'd _never_ lie," He said, trying to play it off, seeing her squint those damned grey eyes at him, seeing through his bullshit. "Yeah, I'm lying," He finally admitted when her stare didn't relent. "What was botherin' you, anyways?" She didn't respond for a few seconds, debating on telling him. "You can tell me, y'know? I brought you into my home where I'm most vulnerable and ya haven't hurt me almost a year later."

He had a point. He did trust her, the least she could do was trust him, right? "Well... I was just thinking about my past," She mumbled, looking down at her hands. "I just... Felt lonely." He stayed quiet, listening to her as she hesitantly told him. He understood that feeling of loneliness all too well. He and Rhys were always around her, but it still wouldn't take away the fact that she was the last one of her kind. She knew about her body and what it'd undergo with things, but she wouldn't _know_ how to handle them. "I know I have you and Rhys, but it's just, not the same, I guess. I don't know, that sounds stupid now that I say it out loud," She continued, laughing awkwardly at what she said. He knew she was hiding something from him, but he wasn't going to push her farther.

"It makes perfect sense, Kitten," He reassured her, patting her leg. He opened his mouth to say something out, but she looked away from him, clearly having something else on her mind. "What else are you keeping from me?"

"I'm not pregnant," She spoke softly, staring down at her hands. He grew quiet again. Honestly, he was a little upset about it, not because he wanted another baby, but because he wanted to learn more about the Eridians, seeing as she was practically a _Goddess_ with all of her powers. Then his mind thought back to how she said her mother died a few years after giving birth. That could happen to her. 

"When did you find out?" He asked, watching her meet his gaze again.

"We can feel it a month in. We just go through all the symptoms of it for two months if we fail to conceive." That sounded like hell to him. He remembered how sick his wife would get when she was pregnant with Angel - always tired and falling asleep, and _always_ sick in the mornings.

"That sounds horrible."

"It can be," She said, smiling at his surprised face. He couldn't stop himself from smirking back at her - it had been so long since he saw that smile on her face, it made him happy to see it again. "I should be over the aftermath by tomorrow. Tonight's the two-month overlap."

"So you'll be back to normal in time for the Gala. Good," He said, rubbing his chin, looking back down at his ECHO watch, flipping it back on. "You'll be my date again, m'kay?"

"I never agreed to that," She said, rolling her eyes.

"You didn't have to. It wasn't something you could turn down," He responded, grinning at her. "You'll still be around Rhys, I just need you for general appearances, like last time."

"Because last time worked out _so_ well."

"Is that sarcasm I hear?"

"Oh _no_ , I wouldn't _dream_ of sassing Handsome Jack," She retorted, going back and forth with him. He smirked at her attitude. There was that fiery mouth he loved.

"Make sure you pick out a better dress this time, Kitten," He teased, chuckling when she huffed, Rhys rounding the corner in his red, silky pajamas, leaning against the couch above Adelia, looking down at her. "Rhysie, Champ. I'll be giving you a bonus to make sure you and Miss Smartass here are well-dressed for the Gala."

"You're taking her as your arm candy again, aren't you?" He asked, not even surprised when Jack gave him a shit-eating grin, verifying his thoughts. "She's not dancing with anyone but us this time," He said, shooting a glare at Jack.

"Yeah, yeah, I have full-intention of not letting her dance with anyone else."  
"Do I not get a voice in this?" She asked, both Rhys and Jack looking at her, before looking back at each other. They actually had planned this for a while. When she danced with Jack at the last Gala, she was happy, much to Rhys's displeasure then, but now, he'd love to see her smile and dance like that.

"Nope," They both said, looking back at her with grins.

"You two are horrible," She sighed, fighting back a smile. It was cute that they were finally getting along, and it put a lot of her worries to rest.

"I think we should go to bed, though. You look tired," Rhys said softly to her, Jack glancing down at Adelia's face. Rhys wasn't wrong. She did have dark bags under her eyes and she looked exhausted, but vomiting nearly every night for two months can easily do that to you. He hadn't even noticed the bags until Rhys said something.

"Okay," She agreed, moving to stand up. "Goodnight, Jack," She said, smiling at him before walking to her and Rhys's room, Rhys following behind her after giving a quiet 'goodnight' to him.

"Goodnight, Pumpkin."

* * *

_**The next morning... (5:45 AM)** _

Adelia groaned when Rhys sat down next to her on his side of the bed, rubbing her head gently with his cool metal hand. She was running a fever today, but that wasn't too much of a surprise, given she spent most of the night vomiting. He was up with her nearly all night, and if she had felt like this the past two months, he could understand why she wasn't feeling well. Though he never expected her to get sick, he just assumed she couldn't. Jack was still sleeping as far as he knew; he wasn't sure how Jack was going to react since he was supposed to take her dress shopping today. 

"Rhysie?" She asked sleepily, opening her grey eyes to look up at him.

"I'm here," He reassured her, watching as she cupped his metal hand with his.

"Don't you have work? I can take care of myself," She said, feeling guilty for being sick.

"Work can wait," He shushed her, moving some of her hair out of her face. "More importantly, how are you feeling?"

"Tired and hot," She mumbled, closing her eyes when he moved his cybernetic hand back to her face, the cold metal feeling good against her hot skin. Her complexion was paler than usual, a light pink covering her face, her skin clammy and sweaty, and the bags under her eyes were darker than they had been the night before.

"I didn't think you could get sick," He spoke in a soft tone.

"I have a human's immune system, not an Eridian's," She answered sleepily. The coolness of his hand was cooling her off and making her sleepy. "I should be fine by tomorrow, though," She reassured him, opening her tired eyes to look up at him, giving him a small smile. She just needed to rest and her body would fix itself - assuming she could sleep. Her stomach started to cramp as she sat up quickly, making a running b-line to the bathroom, falling to her knees as she lost her stomach's contents into the toilet again. He walked in behind her, pulling her hair back as best as he could. It didn't get in the way as much as it used to, but it could still get in the way if she wasn't careful.

"Jesus fuckin' Christ. You've been throwing up all Goddamn night," Jack said, coming out of his room, his hair disheveled and his face holding similar bags as Rhys - he clearly hadn't slept much, either. Enough was enough, he was taking her to the doctor. 

"I'm pretty sure she can't help it," Rhys shot at him, rubbing her back softly as she coughed, shakily grabbing the damp washcloth from the counter, wiping her mouth lightly.

"Yeah, well, get out," Jack said, shoving a finger into the hallway, staring at Rhys.

"What? No."

"That wasn't an optional thing," He responded, shooting a glare at Rhys who reluctantly obliged, stepping into the hallway.

"Jack-"  
"Shut it, Pumpkin. You clearly need a doctor," He said, bending down to pick her up, carrying her warm body against his chest.

"I'm fine-"  
"No, you're clearly not," He said, glancing at Rhys. "I'm bringing her to the doc, m'kay? Meet us there once you get dressed, you're going in today," He started making his way to the door, despite her shoving on his chest. "Oh, and, bring me a friggin' shirt," He called back, shifting her slightly in his arms to open the door, leaving it open as he made his way to the fast travel. Rhys stood there dumbstruck. The fact that Jack just picked her up and brought her left him quietly amazed. Had he tried to do that, she'd coax him out of it. He needed to take lessons from Jack.

 _**On Helios** _ **_..._ **

"Doc, I know you're in there!" Jack said, kicking on the door to the office. "The light's fuckin' on!" A few people scurried by, seeing Adelia in a long, black shirt and a shirtless, pajama-clad Jack standing at the door with a pissed-off expression.

Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a half-asleep Doctor Samuels. "What's the emergency?" He asked, adjusting his glasses with a yawn. His grey hair was disheveled, he had clearly just arrived. His brown eyes looked down at the panting Adelia - she was getting worse by the minute by Jack's standards. She passed out down the hall and her body was steadily fluctuating between cold and burning. "Jesus, what happened?" He asked, moving out of the way as Jack barged in, the door shutting behind them.

"Wish I could tell ya, Doc. I thought she was pregnant, but she said she's not, now she's got a friggin' fever," Jack said, carefully laying her down on the bed. Samuel was shocked by how gentle he was being compared to the first time Jack had met her. It was like staring at a completely different man.

"What do you mean you 'thought she was pregnant'?" He asked, walking over to her, gripping her warm wrist between his fingers, staring down at his watch counting her BPM.

"She was vomiting a lot at night, y'know, night sickness instead of morning sickness, and she was fatigued all the time," The shorter, older man glanced over at Jack with an arched brow. 

"That does sound like the beginning stages of pregnancy. I'll run a test-"

"She said she's not, Doc. God, were you even listening?" He said, rubbing his head in annoyance. He knew Samuel had her best intentions, but Eridians were something none of them knew about.

Samuel just stayed quiet, staring at Jack. He must have a lot of faith to trust her word over logical facts, but then again, she wasn't exactly a full human. He had realized that even more when Jack's doppelganger came in asking if his mark was gone after meeting her - which it was. "Regardless, I need to draw blood," He finally said, dropping her hand down. She had a higher BPM than normal for her, and he could feel just from touching her, she had a fever. "Take her shirt off so I can hook her up to the machine," He continued, digging through the drawers behind them, looking for saline. Normally, he'd remove her shirt, but given how Jack was being protective, he'd like to not die today.   
Jack obliged, pulling her shirt off and carefully dripping the hospital gown around her, tying it behind her neck. The doctor came back, carrying an IV needle, a bag of saline, a hypodermic needle, a few blood collection tubes, and one of the finger clips to monitor her heartbeat, oxygen intake, and temperature. Picking her hand up again, he turned it over under the light, pushing the IV needle through the large vein in her hand. He was already fairly certain she was dehydrated if she had been vomiting as much as Jack had said, plus her temperature, shallow breathing, and high heart rate could easily verify that assumption. Once the needle was deep enough in, he started the saline on a steady drip, hanging it up on the IV pole. 

"I suggest you leave the room, Sir, so I can take her blood and run her tests without distractions."  
"Not happenin'," He said, glaring at the doctor.

"With all due respect, you staying here isn't going to get her treated any better," He spoke cautiously, but sternly. He needed room to work, and with Jack watching over his shoulder, he was more likely to have hiccups. "Plus, you should go get dressed. You trusted me with her before, this is no different."

Jack clenched his fists, his jaw tensing. He didn't want to leave her side with her being so weak, but, he knew Samuel had a point. Samuel had been around since he went by his old name - John, and only held good intentions from what he could tell. Probably because Hyperion was paying him a buttload of money every year. "Fine, but I'll be back in ten minutes." The doctor nodded, moving to the side Jack was on, tying a tight rubber band around her arm, flicking her arm a few times to make the vein rise. Once it bulged slightly, he carefully shoved the hypodermic needle in it, pressing one tube against the other end of it as Jack reluctantly left. Filling each of the tubes, he pulled the rubber band loose, removing the needle and applying pressure, his eyes watching the door. He had a short amount of time to run the tests he needed and evaluate her health correctly. On the plus side, at least her fever was slowly going down from the saline drip.

Ten minutes came and went and Rhys had met Jack in his office in his usual attire, bringing Jack one of his many shirts as requested, both of them more decently dressed now as they headed back to the room. Adelia, on the other hand, was slowly coming around, groaning quietly when she reached up to hold her throbbing head, feeling the IV pull at her wrist. 

"Welcome back to consciousness, Miss Adelia," Doctor Samuel said, writing down her new vitals. It was as he suspected - she was severely dehydrated, but nothing else. The pregnancy test came back as negative, just as Jack had said, much to his surprise. "Have you not been drinking water?"

She groaned again, closing her eyes again, resting her head against the pillow. "I have been, but I've been vomiting more than I can keep up with."

"I see," He said, squeezing the saline bag, a rush of coolness wrapping around her. Her mouth was dry. "Your electrolytes were severely low, you're lucky John - I mean Jack - brought you in. Tell me," He continued, sitting down on the stool next to her. "Have you eaten anything that could've made you sick, or-"

"No, Doc. It's because I had my ovulation cycle. I go through the symptoms of pregnancy for two months even if my eggs fail to fertilize."

"How often do you go through that?"  
"Usually every four months," She answered, rubbing her sleepy face. "It just got away from me this time. I normally watch it carefully and just have mild nausea, not this mess."

"So you don't have a monthly period like humans?"  
"No, we don't even bleed unless we're miscarrying."

"Fascinating," He said, writing that down in his notes. "Your dehydrated state was causing your fever. I'll prescribe you some nausea medicine for the next couple days-"  
"That shouldn't be necessary-"  
"I advise you to take them," The doctor continued, ignoring her objections. "Even if your two months are nearly up, or up today, it'd be best to stop the vomiting first so you can get hydrated and sleep."

She sighed loudly, moving her hands off of her eyes as she stared up at the bright lights above her, the heart monitor beside her beeping quietly. "Fine," She finally said. The doctor did have good intentions, and she needed to accept the fact that this was a new age than it had been before. Old remedies she used to use for these things likely no longer existed. Honestly, it was annoying that she could heal others but not herself.

"Addy," Rhys said, rushing over to her side as Samuel stood up, scooting his stool back to his desk, looking at Jack. 

"Rhysie," She said softly, smiling when he practically threw himself on top of her, hugging her tightly. 

"I told you to come to the doctor two weeks ago," He chastised her a moment later, wagging his cybernetic finger at her, to which she just rolled her eyes.

"Yes, _mom_ ," She shot back, hearing Jack chuckle at their bantering.

"She's just severely dehydrated. I want her to take these three times a day for the next three days. One at every meal," Samuel said, shifting Jack's attention to him as he dug through the medicine cabinet, Rhys and Adelia still going back and forth with each other, and she was winning, but what was new? Rhys did tend to be a pushover. Once he found the bottle, he grabbed an empty bottle, emptying nine pills into his hand before putting them in the empty bottle. "She needs to drink at least six glasses of water a day, but eight would be best," He continued to explain, handing the bottle of medicine out to Jack. "This will help her vomiting so she can sleep."

"Once again, Samuel, you come in to save the day," Jack said, teasing the doctor.

"Oh, stop it, John. It's my job," He said, rolling his eyes. He was the only one Jack didn't mind calling him John - probably because he was the only one on Jack's side before the whole incident with the first Vault. "You need to watch her carefully, though," He continued in a serious tone. "She's just as stubborn as you."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Jack said, dismissing the doctor. 

Samuel sighed in exasperation. He was hopeless. "She can leave after the saline bag is empty, so about twenty minutes, give or take."

Meanwhile, Addy and Rhys were grinning at each other, still poking at each other, Rhys chuckling every so often while Adelia giggled. 

* * *

Rhys had given her a soft kiss goodbye before he left to head to his office. Jack wouldn't let him take off, saying he could 'handle her', which made them both roll their eyes. She showered immediately when they got home, and now, she sat in the kitchen, wearing her black boyshorts and the Hyperion shirt Jack had given her, sipping quietly on her second glass of water while Jack fixed them pancakes.

"We could've just stayed in your office if you need to go in today," She said, setting her half-empty glass down. She was making good progress and had taken her medicine as Jack told her to.

"I don't need to," He responded, flipping two pancakes with ease. "I can answer my emails here the same as I can there. Plus, I still have to take you dress shopping, Pumpkin."

She huffed a bit. She had forgotten all about dress shopping, and although she felt much better after getting saline pumped in her and a glass and a half of water, she really didn't feel like dress shopping today, but arguing with him would be pointless. He'd just pick her up and drag her there, screaming or otherwise. "I thought Rhys was going to take me?"

"That pushover? Please," He laughed, setting the finished pancakes on two plates, turning the oven off. He had four pancakes on his plate while she had two. Spreading butter over the top of them carefully, he set the plate down on in front of her, pouring syrup over his. "You could tell him you don't feel like it and he'll just cave and say 'we won't go then'," He pretended to be Rhys, which really wasn't that hard for him, taking a bite of his pancakes. She giggled at his impression, pouring a small amount of syrup on her pancakes, nothing like he had done - he practically suffocated them in syrup. "Plus," He continued, swallowing his bite. "I can make sure we're matching."

"You're so mushy when you want to be," She teased, cutting herself a small bite of her pancakes, eating it quietly. Pancakes were one of her favorite breakfast foods, and her reaction when he first cooked them for her stuck with him - that grin on her face and her eyes lighting up, eating every bite he had made for her without a complaint. Even now, her eyes lit up with delight as she ate them, a small smile on her face. He did make the best pancakes. The ones Rhys would bring her couldn't even come close to Jack's.

"Me? Mushy? Nooo," He teased back, taking another bite. "I just have big plans for this Gala. Gotta make sure we're matching," He said, grinning mischievously. 

She squinted at him, taking another cautious bite. "Plans?"

"You'll find out, Baby doll," He responded, nearly finishing his plate as she took another slow bite, her grey eyes watching him, trying to coax an answer out of him - but with her stare, he just stared back with an arched brow. That stare may have worked on him last night, but it wasn't going to work on him this time. He had to keep the element of surprise for this. 

She stayed quiet, glancing at him from time to time as she finished her pancakes, finishing off her second glass of water soon after. He chuckled at her squinting gaze, moving to grab the dishes from her, only to have them swept away from him by her. "No, you cooked. I can get the dishes," She said, carrying them over to the sink. He arched a brow, staring over at her as he finished off his coffee. He watched her do the dishes quickly and with ease, slowly standing up and walking over to her, pinning her against the cabinet, setting his mug down in the sink, a smirk on his face when she tensed but didn't squirm away.

Carefully, he slowly slid his hands under her shirt as she continued to do the dishes, her skin still warm from her fever earlier, but not like it had been. "Jack..." She warned as he edged to her breasts, stopping just shy of them.

"Yes?" He played innocent, using that damned smooth voice of his that made her knees weak.

"You know exactly what you're doing, asshole," She retorted, rolling her eyes as she started on his mug, cleaning it thoroughly.

"Ah-ah, language," He whispered against her ear, his hands moving up to grope her breasts, a faint moan coming from her as he massaged the soft tissues the way he knew she couldn't resist, her face growing pink from his touch. "Consider this payment for all those kisses you denied me, Kitten," He cooed into her ear, his thumb and index fingers pinching her slowly-hardening buds, a moan coming from her, her body pressing against his, biting her bottom lip, holding in any other moans that might dare to escape her while he toyed with her nipples.

Setting his mug down, she turned the water off, drying her hands on the drying towel next to her before sliding both of her hands under her shirt, gripping his hands with hers, prying his grip from her. "You're _such_ a dick," She said, turning to face him, her face a dull crimson, her grey eyes staring up at him.

"A loveable dick," He retaliated, breaking his hands free from her grip, moving them to her waist, pulling her closer to him. She rolled her eyes, pressing her hands lightly against his bare chest. He, of course, took his shirt off as soon as he walked through the door, tossing it over the back of the couch for later. He normally did strip as soon as he got home, and she couldn't blame him. All those layers must be hot. She couldn't deny it, though. He was loveable, and her not fighting back absolutely gave him an ego boost.

"I'm tired," She said, looking up at him, changing the subject. That wasn't a lie. She hadn't slept much for the past two months. His smile dropped, he wanted to at least get a kiss from her before being shoved away from her again. She arched a brow at his face, realizing that he probably felt like she was pushing him away again, as she had done previously, but honestly... She wasn't that nauseous, despite eating. She was just tired. "Let's go lay down," She continued, patting his chest lightly, which only increased his frown, biting the inside of her cheek to hold back her smile. She knew cuddling would make it better.

"Alright," He finally said, the annoyance present on his face. He thought he was making headway with her again since she didn't stop him from groping her at first, but now, he wasn't sure. Sliding his hands down, he cupped the back of her thighs, a slight grin coming to his face when she inhaled sharply, picking her up with ease. Maybe she was actually just tired. Samuel did tell him that she needed to rest. Carrying her to his bedroom, his grin only grew when she wrapped her arms around his neck, steadying herself even though she knew he wouldn't drop her. Usually, he just laid down with her in her room, but since she was already awake, there was no point in putting her back to bed there. Setting her down on the bed, he watched with an arched brow as she scooted over, patting the side of her. Was she actually going to cuddle him this time?

Lying down next to her, he pulled the blankets over them, unable to stop himself from smiling when she scooted close to him, one of her arms wrapping around his chest, her fingers fluttering across his ribs, causing him to arch a brow, gazing down at her. "What is it, Pumpkin?" He asked, sliding his arm behind her, pulling her closer to him.

"Do you want to... face me while we sleep?" She asked shyly, her cheeks flushing a light pink. She wanted to make up being distant to Jack, and, honestly, she just wanted to be held right now. She was tired and needed affection since Rhys couldn't hold her properly all night. He stayed quiet, staring down at her. She had never asked him to hold her like that, and, quite frankly, he was wary of her intentions. She could be asking just to put her back to him before she falls asleep fully to make him embarrass himself. But... She wouldn't, would she? "It's okay if you don't want to," She added, snapping him out of his internal battle. He slowly turned to face her, wrapping his arms around her clumsily - it had been years since he held anyone like this, and, he wasn't sure just how far he could push her today.

She smiled up at him, moving her left hand up to cup his cheek softly, his brow arching, staring at her curiously, watching her as she brought her lips to his, her eyes closing while she gave him a gentle kiss. At first, he hesitated, but after a few seconds, he wrapped his arms more naturally around her, pulling her closer to him while he returned her gentle kiss with a rough, but sweet, one of his own. Those soft lips on his were a feeling he could never tire of. "That's what you were waiting for earlier, wasn't it?" She asked once he pulled away from her.

"I've been waiting for that friggin' kiss for two months," He said, chuckling. It wasn't a lie. He had been longing to feel her kiss him again, but she always turned him down. Maybe she really was sorry and was trying to make it up to him. This was a start, at least.

"I know," She answered softly, running her thumb along his cheek, her grey eyes staying locked on his green and blue ones. "I'm sorry for being distant, again. I promise to make it up to you."

"Don't make promises you'll regret, Pumpkin," He responded back, smirking at her reddening face.

"Then, don't make me regret it," She teased, grinning up at him.

It had been about 15 minutes after they initially laid down, and Jack couldn't sleep. She practically fell asleep not long after their playful banter, which he could understand - she didn't sleep at all last night. He laid there, holding her as she breathed shallow and relaxed in his arms. Her face looked relaxed, her lips parted slightly as she slept, and her hands, wrapped around him, holding him against her. It'd been nearly a year and he couldn't get over how this petite woman could go from friggin' balls to the walls, practically murdering someone and striking the fear of God into bandits to 'hold me while I sleep'. He knew if he hadn't stopped her yesterday, she would've killed his secretary - who he did kill either way, but that was beside the point - without batting an eye until later when the realization hit her. That both aroused and frightened him - she was capable of killing but she still kept her humanity while doing it; something he hadn't had in years. She was both alike and different from him in many ways, but he just couldn't stop himself from caring about her. She was everything he hated, - Pandorian, Siren, a smartass - but he couldn't stop himself from wanting her. 

Feeling her stir in his arms, he loosened his grip lightly, feeling her hands grip his back lightly, pulling herself closer to him. He chuckled faintly, running his hands leisurely along her back, hearing her sigh softly against him, her grip on him loosening ever so slightly, her body relaxing again. He'd be lying if he said he missed holding her, but the way he was holding her now was a completely different way from how they usually cuddled. This felt more... Intimate, but even if he wanted to move, - which he didn't - he couldn't. She kept gripping his back every time he moved, a thing he found ridiculously cute; she really was trying to make it up to him. How friggin' adorable.

He stilled his hands a few minutes later, chuckling lowly when her eyes fluttered open, looking up at him sleepily. "Are you not comfortable?" She asked, the sleepiness still very apparent in her voice.

"I'm alright, Pumpkin," He whispered to her, fighting back a smile at her sleepy pout.

"If you're not comfortable, you can tell me," She argued back. She was being super friggin' cute, even by his standards. As exhausted as she was, she was still more concerned about him.

He hummed in amusement, staring down at her with his heterochromatic eyes, a sly, devious smirk coming across his lips. "Alright, then I'm not comfortable," He lied, seeing her frown.

"Well... What would make you comfortable?" She questioned, meeting his bi-colored gaze with her grey one.

"I like it more when you're facing away from me," He answered, his plan going as intended.

Squinting her eyes at that mischievous smirk of his, she reluctantly pulled her hands from around him, his back feeling oddly cold once she moved them. She turned over, putting her back to him, resting her arms out in front of her. "Is this better, then?"

He chuckled lowly again, slowly edging his hands under her shirt, feeling her body tense under his warm hands. "Much better, Kitten," He whispered into her ear, her body shuddering from his smooth voice, a soft gasp coming from her as his hands grasped her breasts in his hands.

"You're such a dick," She mumbled, her face turning a bright crimson, feeling his fingers massaging the soft tissues in retaliation.

"Language, Pumpkin," He purred to her, pressing his hips against her rear, giving her a full-feel of his slowly growing erection. He had no intention to go further than this, he just wanted to tease her a bit.

"Jack, I'm tired," She whined, turning her head to look at him.

"Well, go to sleep. I'm just gettin' comfortable," He taunted her, the smirk present on his face while he gave her breasts a firm squeeze, enjoying the quiet moan that passed her lips and the reddening of her face.

" _This_ is your definition of comfortable?" She huffed, turning her head back away from him.

"Yup," was all he had to say about it, nuzzling his face lightly against the nape of her neck, feeling her rosy buds grow hard beneath his hands when his warm breath hit her skin. "Go back to sleep, Pumpkin. I'm not gonna do anything else," He promised, already knowing she was doubting him. He did have _some_ control - after all, he always stopped when she told him to.

She stayed quiet, the bulge pressing against her rear didn't help her flustered mood he had put her in, but her tiredness was going to outweigh it. Fifteen minutes of sleep wasn't enough for her to stay awake for a while, and soon, she drifted off to sleep again, in the same position she had been in. Feeling her relax against him again, he chuckled against her neck, giving her skin a soft kiss before slowly unwrapping himself from her, carefully getting up as to not wake her. He had to tend to his business, and he couldn't sleep, anyway - he was awake now and it'd be hard for him to go to sleep again. He would stay in here while she slept, but he still held his guard around her after she shut him out. Reaching for the blanket, he paused when she turned over, her hand lightly grabbing his wrist, his eyes looking over at her face. She was still fast asleep.

Slowly, he pulled her hand off of his wrist, covering her up before quietly leaving the room, grabbing his ECHO band on the way, running his hands through his messy hair. On one hand, he wanted to go back and lay next to her, but on the other, he knew he wouldn't get anything done. Sitting down on the couch, he turned his ECHO band on, projecting the familiar hologram of all the hundreds of emails he needed to tend to. This was easily the most boring part of the job, but he didn't have a choice but to answer them, especially since the Gala was in two days. On top of it all, he had a few spies stationed in Maliwan's Pandorian bases, ready to report any attacks, so he had to tend to that first and foremost.

* * *

_**Still at home (10:45 AM)** _

Adelia groaned, holding her head as she blinked her eyes slowly. She still hadn't slept enough, but her body was used to this schedule and there wasn't much she could do about it. It didn't help that she had a vision about the Gala, which worried her even further. Someone was going to try and kill Jack and abduct her, which gives her the other half of her vision from last time. She felt over where Jack had been, feeling nothing but the sheet as she groaned again, slowly sitting up. She was sleep-deprived and now had a vision - her head was throbbing. Sliding to the edge of the bed, she slowly stood up, shuffling off to the bathroom to tame her hair with her hands (since she was still in his room) before making her way to the living room, seeing a sleeping Jack propped up against the arm of the couch. His head was resting against his right hand, mouth slightly open as he drooled from the position he was in, and his eyes closed. She couldn't help but think about how uncomfortable that had to be. It wasn't really uncommon for him to get up after she fell asleep, so it didn't surprise her to see him not in bed with her, but to see him sleeping like this did surprise her. Considering how hard he tries to keep up his image, seeing him vulnerable like this really made her realize that he's just a human, just like Rhys was, and just like half of her was.

Silently, she walked over to his side of the couch, running her hands through his fluffy, messy hair with an amused grin plastered on her face, watching his eyes open slowly, blinking a couple of times from the sudden touch, closing his mouth and wiping the drool off of his face with the back of his hand. 

Leaning down, she whispered into his ear, "Well, good morning, sleepyhead." Giggling when she watched him nearly jump out of his skin from her voice.

"Jesus, Cupcake. You almost gave me a friggin' heart attack," He responded sleepily, looking over at her with those eyes that always managed to wow her - most Eridians were born with grey or blue eyes, so seeing Rhys's and Jack's different colored eyes were breathtaking, or at least, to her they were.

She giggled at his words, moving to sit in her usual spot, her grey eyes looking over at him. "I'm guessing you got up so you could work without distractions then dozed off soon after?" She guessed, arching a brow when he cleared his throat, looking away from her.

"I wasn't sleeping. I was just, uh, resting my eyes."

"Suuuuure," She said, drawing the word out, pulling her legs onto the couch, her eyes watching him. "Y'know, if you're still tired, you could go back to sleep."

"And miss dress shopping with you? Wow, don't threaten to break my heart, Pumpkin," He teased, winking at her, his shit-eating grin growing across his lips when she blushed. He was pretty pissed about the dream he was having, but there wasn't much he could do about it. There were other pressing matters on top of his revenge, and Adelia had him tied around her finger in a tight knot. He had to play nice. For now.

"Why are you so determined to have us matching?"

"I have important matters planned."

"That tells me nothing."

"It wasn't supposed to."

She squinted at him. Just _what_ was he planning? "Well," She paused. Should she tell him about the Gala vision? "I had another vision," She finally mumbled, seeing Jack arch his brow, waiting for her to continue.

"Well?" He asked after a few minutes when she didn't continue.

"Remember how I had the one about my kidnapping?"

"Uh, yeah, Pumpkin. Kind'a hard to forget that considering you moved into my friggin' house," He retorted, keeping his gaze on her.

She rolled her eyes. She knew he was just messing with her with that tone, but it still stung. "The Gala is where it all begins. They're planning an attack on you and Hyperion. I only saw that, then waking up in the cage, like before."

He stiffened. Of course. Why didn't he realize that? His guard would still be up after last time, but hers would be lowered and more cautious seeing as she doesn't like crowds. "Good thing I already thought about that," He finally said, smirking at her when she stared at him. "They'd be idiots to not attempt an attack then, especially with what I have planned fully for that evening. Don't worry, Kitten. I have it all planned out," He spoke the last part cockily, smirking.

"That pride of yours will be your downfall again," She warned, shifting her gaze from him, setting her feet down on the couch. 

"Have some faith, Pumpkin. I'm Handsome Goddamn Jack. I got this," He smirked, watching her. "Go get dressed, we'll get the shopping over with."

* * *

_**On Helios... (11:25 AM)** _

It took Jack forever to style his hair correctly, which strangely amused her. He and Rhys obsessed over their hair more than she did - she just passed a brush through it and that was it. She didn't bother doing all the fancy styling, even though Jack told her she'd have to do so for the Gala. It also didn't help her comfortability that everyone - and literally _everyone -_ was staring at her walking next to Jack as he babbled on about how excited he was for her to be his date, obviously pushing her buttons even further, his arm around her waist, tugging her around with him throughout the entire shopping center.

"You're such a dick," She whispered to him when they stopped, watching him flipping through the dresses, looking for hers.

"Language, Sweetheart," He whispered back to her, giving her a grin and a wink. She felt her face betray her as they flared a dark pink, nearing the red area. He was antagonizing her in a way he knew would fluster her. That was alright, though. She'd get her revenge later. However, the 'Sweetheart' nickname was new. "Ahh, this is perfect," He finally said, feeling her eyes glaring holes into his back - something he found extremely amusing. Pulling a dark grey dress out, he held it up to her, the shoulders held white straps while there were tiny little sequins decorating the upper part of the dress. There was a bright, Hyperion yellow bow around the upper part of it, a few - about nine - yellow roses decorating the front-left side of the dress. The bottom of the dress had a white, flowing mesh, held in by another white ribbon so she could remove it once she finished dancing. Overall, it looked like a real ballroom dress, and she half-wondered how much he had planned to buy her one of these.

"That looks expensive," She said, crossing her arms over her chest, staring at him.

"I'm rich, Baby. Don't worry about it," He teased, bringing it over to the counter.

"Aren't you going to have me try it on?" She questioned, walking behind him quietly. 

"Nope," He beamed, paying for the dress. "I already measured you while you were sleeping and had it tailored."

"That's not creepy at all," She said, rolling her eyes at his grin. She couldn't help but smile at his determination to this whole thing and honestly, that was fairly cute to her. The fact that he was planning something so intricately, though, did worry her. For him to go to this much trouble, he had to have been planning something huge, she just didn't know what. Leading her out of the store, he hummed happily beside her, smirking at everyone who was staring at them. He knew it was making her uncomfortable, but it was also feeding his ego to see so many people distraught that he was with her and not them. The idiots always acted like he was the best thing in the universe - which, he couldn't deny, he felt like he was.

As they passed the food court, her stomach growled from the smells coming. "Hungry, Pumpkin?" He asked, smirking down at her, seeing her pinkened face.

"Maybe a little," She murmured, looking away from him.

"Then, let's friggin' eat," He stated, then led her promptly to a bagel shop.


	19. Chapter 19

_**The night of the Gala...** _

Thanks to the medicine Doctor Samuel had given Jack for her to take, she was back to her normal self, much to Rhys and Jack's excitement. Her sex life with Rhys had gone back to how it was, and Jack, well... They weren't exactly sexual, but he still groped and fondled her, he just always stopped. He wanted to push her to that point where she'd beg for him again, though, at the rate, it was going over the last couple days, his plan was going to fail, especially since she looked so much healthier.

Jack had already left to make final preparation at the Gala, leaving Rhys and Adelia alone to get ready. Having already been intimate, they didn't have long until it would be time for them to go. Adelia was dressed in her dress Jack had picked out, wearing matching grey heels with small, yellow roses accented in white running along them. Jack had really planned her outfit out - the only thing she had to plan was her hair, and even then, she couldn't. Rhys insisted on doing it.

"Rhysie, I can do my own hair," She protested, hearing him chuckle, brushing his gel through her hair slowly.

"Your definition of doing your hair is putting it in a bun and lightly brushing it," He teased, grinning when her face flushed a bright pink. He was right and they both knew he was. She never let her forehead show up until now, even during sex, she always had her forehead hidden. It was time to change that. Carefully, he pushed her hair out of her face, slowly curly her natural curls back, his eyes stopping when he saw a dark scar on her forehead that extended past her hairline, seeing her look away from him. "What is this?" He asked softly, his hand lightly touching the mark.

"A painful reminder," She mumbled, keeping her gaze off of him. She didn't really want to talk about it. She kept her hair down for that reason. 

Rhys stayed quiet, his heart hurting at how upset she looked and felt. Going by to styling her hair loosely with his hands, he fluffed the back of her hair up slightly to have it match the front with her curls. Once done, he leaned down, pressing his lips against her mark, giving it a gentle kiss. "You still look beautiful even with it," He whispered to her, seeing her gaze shift to him, a shy smile coming across her lips. He always knew how to smooth talk her into feeling better about anything that bothered her. "But, just to make you more comfortable," He continued, pulling away from her. Taking the white rose from his tux's pocket, he slowly slid it into her hair, securing it in with the bobby pin he was using to hold it in his pocket. He positioned her hair just right, letting the rose cover most of her mark, a few stray hairs hanging down in a cutesy, but elegant manner, covering her mark, but unless someone were up close, they wouldn't see the hair draping down - he had hidden it with the rose.

"What about your rose, though?" She asked, looking up at him with a flushed face. He was so sweet to her.

"It'll be fine," He reassured her, giving her forehead a gentle kiss, wiping his hands off on the washcloth he had brought in for the gel. Rhys was in on Maliwan's plan from what Adelia had seen, he just didn't know what Jack was planning - he was keeping it hush-hush to both of them. Suddenly, his arm flashed, signaling a call from Jack. He looked over at Adelia, who just shrugged, having no knowledge of this either, before he held his hand out, answering the call, a hologram of Jack dressed in a suit similar to Rhys's (literally, they looked like brothers with how they were dressed) - dark grey with a yellow vest and white roses in their pockets - appearing. "We were just about to leave."  
"Oh, good. I was just about to see where y'all were," He said, chuckling darkly, chills running up both Rhys and Adelia's spines. He had something big planned. "I'll see you both at the Gala then. Don't keep me waiting this time," And with that, he hung up.

* * *

_**At Helios...** _

Adelia tugged at the fluffy mesh around her legs. It stopped about her mid-calf, so it wasn't super long, but it was a little weird to feel it press against her skin. At least Rhys had taught her how to walk in heels last time, so she had no problem walking this time. "Maybe we'll actually share a dance this time," She teased, looking at him with a grin. He chuckled, patting her hand that was gripping his cybernetic arm.

"Hopefully so. I don't want all my practicing to go to waste," He responded, smiling down at her. Jack had modified his ECHO eye to stay a golden color instead of the green one, and honestly, it looked so much like his normal eye color that she loved it all the same.

"Even if we don't get to, I'll dance with you when we get home tonight," She reassured him, seeing him beam at that. He hadn't had a chance to dance with her while she was in a good mood.

"Took ya long enough," Jack said, only, it wasn't Jack. It was Timothy. Adelia squinted at him, seeing him visibly grow uncomfortable under her stare. Just _what_ was Jack planning?

"I'll see you soon," She said, seeing Rhys give a death glare to Timothy, snapping him out of it. Rhys didn't know about the doppelganger and she wasn't going to be the one to tell him. Cupping his cheek with her left hand, she met him halfway in a quick, sweet kiss, giving him a small wave as Timothy led her away, clearing his throat once they were out of ear reach, her hand gripping his arm lightly. He was vastly different from Jack, but he still had the tight muscles like he did, which was no surprise, given he was made to be, well, Jack.

"So, did Jack not want to come in the end, or are you a distraction for something?" She asked in a hushed tone, feeling Timothy tense under her grip.

"I, uh. I have no idea," He whispered back, flashing a smile to a few women who passed, shooting glares at them. "He just told me to memorize his speech because I'd be giving it, then I'd be leaving if all went according to his plan."

"So you're on a need-to-know too," She stated, people already buzzing around the Gala. It had already begun, but it didn't _begin_ until after Jack - or in this case, Timothy - made his announcement. She followed him up the stairs, holding the front of her dress up as she ascended the chairs with him, hearing him laugh nervously beside her.

"If I fuck up, Jack will have my head," He whispered, clearly on the verge of a mental breakdown.

"You won't," She whispered back to him, reassuring him with a soft squeezing of his arm. "You'll do it up to his standards. You are his favorite, after all," She reminded him, seeing him relax slightly. She was right, every time Jack had to go out in public, Timothy was more or less the one sent, assuming he wasn't seriously injured.

"I have so many questions about you and Jack, but I don't know if I'll ever get to ask," He whispered to her, glancing down at her, meeting her grey gaze.

She smiled up at him, his heart pounding in his chest from her breath-taking smile. Jack did get lucky. First Moxxi, now Adelia? He did get a lot of women because of his looks, but all of them thought he was Jack. "I have questions, too, but that'll be for another day. Just focus on your speech, you'll do amazing," She reassured him again as they reached the top of the balcony, everyone turning to look at them as the music stopped. Taking a shaky breath, he grabbed the champagne off the table near him, watching her do the same. She wouldn't drink it - she never did -, but she did have to hold it for appearances.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen," Timothy started in his confident voice, Adelia standing beside him, her eyes glancing around the ground, a smile coming on her face when she made eye contact with Rhys. "I'm sure you all have heard what a friggin' success the Hyperion-Tediore merger was!" After he said that, everyone started clapping their hands. "Yes, yes, I know, I'm amazing," He continued as the clapping stopped. "But, I will admit, this merger wouldn't have been possible without Miss Adelia here," He placed his hand on her shoulder, shooting her an 'I'm sorry, don't kill me' glance, keeping up the facade. "With that being said, I think it goes unsaid that every King needs a Queen, so with this Gala, I'm announcing that not only is Atlas coming back under Hyperion, but Miss Adelia here will be my, and Atlas's, co-CEO," As soon as he said that, Adelia's face burned a bright crimson, her eyes locking on Rhys who was just as equally shocked. "And that means, if any of you fuckin' idiots try to harm her, you're starting a war with me, Handsome Goddamn Jack," He finished, pointing a finger at his chest, beaming brightly as people started murmuring, glances being made to her as she covered her face with her hand, completely embarrassed, people slowly drinking their champagne as Timothy downed it. After a few more minutes, the murmuring stopped, people slowly going back to socializing, as they had done before, Timothy letting out a long breath, setting the glass down, raising a brow at her not drinking hers, as well as her extremely reddened face.

"You alright?" He asked softly, taking the champagne from her, leading her down the stairs.

"I'm gonna kill that jackass," was all she mumbled under her breath, lifting her head up as she looked at him, squinting at him rather angrily.

"Hey, I didn't write it!" He exclaimed in a hushed voice, holding his hands up defensively. "I just memorized what I was told."

"Oh, I know," She whispered back at him still shooting him a glare. "But you could've warned me."

"I thought you knew," He mumbled back to her, breaking his gaze from her grey eyes. Honestly, he didn't know her well, but to see her so frustrated over this did make her seem more... human to him. From what he had seen, she was practically flawless. Then again, he thought the same about Moxxi at first.

"Well, I didn't. Surprise," She said sarcastically, both of them stopping in the middle of the stairs. People weren't really looking at them anymore, save for Rhys and Katagawa Junior, which she knew he would be. Rhys didn't want him to come after the attack, but Jack said it'd "be a great way to target their attacks before they start". "So, what now?" She asked, leaning against the railing, staring up at him.

"I-uh... Well, I thought Jack would be here by now, but I guess he's not," Timothy said, rubbing the back of his neck slowly, his heterochromatic eyes glancing around the room.

"He's probably up to something," She reassured him, patting his arm softly. He blushed from her soft touch, keeping his gaze off of her. Since he didn't have to wear his mask anymore on Helios, it was very apparent that he was blushing.

Suddenly, something flashed from the crowd, a stinging pain going through Adelia's shoulder as her body jolted back, a hiss coming from her as she scanned the crowd, seeing them going nuts with the delayed gunshot echoing. Timothy blinked slowly, bending to get to her as Rhys called out to her over the chaos, but everyone was pushing him further back. "Watch out!" She said, shoving him down against the stairs, another gunshot echoing as it nicked her shoulder again, just shy of leaving another hole on her. She sat down on the stairs, holding her bleeding, throbbing shoulder. "I told him that was going to happen," She mumbled to herself, seeing Timothy stare at her with widened eyes. She was literally shot and she seemed to be barely affected by it.

"Are you alright?" He finally asked, moving to sit next to her, reaching out to touch her wounded shoulder. The bullet hadn't gone through, which meant it had to be even more painful for her.

She hissed again when he touched her, her hand, bloody from holding her shoulder, slapping his hand away. "Don't touch it," She warned, slowly peeking over the ledge of the railing, another gunshot coming for her as Katagawa's voice rang out.

"Come out, my little Siren. I won't stop until I've got you."

Timothy blinked, watching as she brought her bloodied hand back to her shoulder, taking a shaky breath as she closed her eyes, calming her heart down. Her shoulder was throbbing and pretty much out of commission until she could dig the bullet out of her arm, but she knew if she did, she'd be giving her only one-up to Katagawa. He definitely wouldn't stop until she was further incapacitated. She opened her grey eyes, realizing, this was probably part of Jack's plan. He didn't intend or plan for her to get shot, but he wanted Katagawa to make an ass out of Maliwan. "Stay here," She whispered to Timothy, his eyes growing wide.

"What? No!" He exclaimed, gripping her hand as she started to stand up, seeing her confident smile. 

"I can handle this," She reassured him, slowly pulling her hand out of his, standing up slowly as the tall, slender male pointed the gun at her. 

"Giving up that easily?" He asked, watching as she slowly stepped down the stairs, her eyebrows twitching in annoyance. If she didn't stop him, he was going to kill Timothy and Rhys, and probably so many other innocent people. She didn't have a choice but to give herself up. 

"Yes," She said, standing across the floor from him, holding her bleeding shoulder. "I'll comply, but don't hurt anyone else," She said, motioning to the dead body of one of Hyperion's guards - probably someone caught in the crossfire.

"Are you really in a position to give orders?" He asked, cautiously stepping towards her, a smirk on his face. He was winning. This is what winning felt like. 

"Are you?" She asked, staying still as he continued to approach her. He had full intentions of selling her off to a Pandorian trade, thus becoming rich and no longer living in his siblings' shadows. Between his inheritance and the pretty penny he'd make off of her, he could probably even take Maliwan from his father.

Reaching her, he smirked, catching her chin with the barrel of his pistol, glancing at her scowling face in the light. "Such a shame a beautiful face goes to waste," He said, his free hand reaching into his pocket, pulling out one of Jack's collars. "I stole this from your little sweetheart's desk. Let's see how well it works," He spoke threateningly, Adelia arching a brow as the collar attached around her neck and shocked her, but she stood her ground. The initial shock wasn't that bad, she could handle it. It was repeated, mini shocks that bothered her. "What?" He said, seeing her not even flinch from the shocks, a smirk on her face as she took a step toward him, seeing Jack decloak behind him with a satisfied smirk.

"Oh, you're _such_ a dumb boy," She said, reaching her bloodied hand up to the collar, pulling it off despite the violent shocks on her skin, Jack frowning at the burns appearing on her skin. He was furious. Someone dare harmed what belonged to him. "This was made for human Sirens," She continued, still progressing toward him, Jack watching in amusement as she dropped the collar, her skin smoking slightly, but quickly healing. She had just leeched some power off of Rhys before they left, so she was on a rather low power high. "You, of all people, should know that I am not a human Siren," She whispered to him, his face paling when he hit Jack's chest, a low, dark chuckle coming from him.

"Hey there, Kiddo," He spoke sadistically, gripping Katagawa's shoulder tightly, the boy's face twisting into horror, realizing he had stepped into a trap. "I guess my warning wasn't good enough for ya? I believe I said," He slowly pulled his gun out of the hidden holster, putting it to the young man's temple, "Don't touch what's mine." And with that, he pulled the trigger, scowling when oil came from the body again, both him and Adelia sighing exasperatedly. They could've sworn they had him this time, but they didn't. However, this meant they made the first move. They could declare war on Maliwan and be in the right. "Fuckin' robots," He said, throwing the robotic body down, wiping his face off with his handkerchief, his eyes going to the wound on her arm soon after. "Are you alright, Kitten?" He asked, stepping over the body and toward her, his calloused hands gripping her hand, moving it from her wound, despite her writhing against his grip, feeling his hand run along the wound.

"That fucking _hurts_ , asshole," She practically snarled at him, a slight smirk coming to his face. Even injured, she held that fierce tone he loved so much. Timothy slowly peeked over the stairs, sheepishly making his way over to them, honestly scared of his punishment from Jack.

"Timtam, my man," Jack started, shooting a glare at him. "You did a damn good job on my speech, but, you let my little Pumpkin here get hurt."

Timothy awkwardly laughed, rubbing the back of his neck slowly, slowly backing away again. "Well, uh, you see-"

"It's my own fault I got injured," She said, standing up for Timothy. If anything, he was innocent. He didn't know this was going to happen. "If anything, the Katagawa bot had terrible aim, he was clearly aiming for Timothy," She said, Jack shifting his gaze back to her, watching as she dug the bullet out of the hole in her arm, seeing her jaw tense before the stray bullet fell to the ground. This woman had the pain tolerance of a bear. "That's better," She said in a relieved tone, her wounds already healing, as Jack and Timothy stared at her widened eyes. Jack had high pain tolerance, too, but to see her dig a bullet out of her arm without even flinching and without any type of pain medicine was an entirely new level of amazement for them.

"Did that... uh... Did that not, y'know... hurt?" Timothy finally asked, Jack still staring at her, waiting for an answer.

"Oh no, that was excruciatingly painful," She smiled, seeing Timothy and Jack slowly look at one another. They both had the same thought - this woman was a force to be reckoned with. 

"Riiiight," Jack slowly said, snapping his fingers as a cleaner bot came in, cleaning up the mess from the Katagawa bot, including the dead guard. "Let's get the Gala going again, then. Tim, you're dismissed," Jack said, turning to head toward the door. He had to calm down everyone before things got worse.

"Maybe next time I can get to know you better," He said, smiling at Adelia, giving her a wave before he headed to the back, going out the way Jack had taken them before. She gave him a small wave back, staring at the blood on her hand before making her way to the bathroom, hearing Jack open the doorway.

"I'm sorry for that little incident," He started, seeing the nervous crowd in front of him. "The threat has been terminated by yours truly," He continued, opening the doors wide for everyone, watching as they all cautiously rejoined the room, their eyes looking for anything out of place, but finding nothing.

Rhys stormed over to Jack, pissed off as he glared up at the slightly taller man. "What the _fuck_ , Jack?" He said in a hushed tone, a few stares coming their way as people passed.

"What?" He asked, smirking down at him. Oh, this was so friggin' amusing. "We all knew it was going to happen, are you honestly surprised?"

"You could've at least let us know about the plan," He whispered angrily at him, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Where's Adelia?" He finally asked, realizing she hadn't come to break them up yet.

"She's-" Jack started, going to point to where she had been, his face paling. "I... don't know," He finally said, his brows lowering as his eyes narrowed, Rhys rubbing his face, clearly annoyed. 

After washing the blood off of her hands, she stared at herself in the mirror, carefully fixing the rose in her hair Rhys had placed, smiling to herself. He really made her happy about anything. Adjusting the shoulder straps of her dress, she quietly walked out of the bathroom, her heels clicking quietly. Opening the door, she saw a nearly hysterical Rhys and a pissed off Jack, both of them yelling at each other, leaving her confused, but undoubtedly entertained.

"You were supposed to watch her!" Rhys exclaimed, shoving his cybernetic hand against Jack's chest.

Jack flared his nostrils, slapping the hand away from him. "I'm _so_ sorry that I was busy trying to, Idunno, keep her from being kidnapped." She covered her mouth, both of the men still not noticing her watching the scene. Rhys threw his hands up in the air, clearly on the seconds away from hysterics now, Jack running his hand through his hair, trying to keep his cool to the polar opposite male. He was worried, too, but he wasn't one to show it like that. Based on what he had seen with his secretary, Adelia could handle herself.

Slowly, she quietly put her feet down, making sure not to make any sound as she walked over to them, rubbing both of their backs slowly, both men jumping nearly out of their skins, Jack pulling his pistol on her, seeing her shit-eating grin as she stared at them, Rhys visibly calming down once he saw her face. "What are you guys talking about?" She asked, the grin staying present on her face, her eyes glancing at Jack, slowly pushing his pistol out of her side.

"Fuckin' Christ, Cupcake. You've gotta start wearing a friggin' bell or something around your neck," Jack said, rubbing his eyes with his left hand. That was the second time in a couple of days she's scared him halfway to the ceiling.

"Addy," Rhys said, relief flashing across his face as he embraced her tightly in his arms, a giggle coming from her as she leaned back, resting her hands on his shoulders. "We thought something happened to you."

"I knew she was fine," Jack scoffed, crossing his arms across his broad chest. She could see the relief in his face, despite his hardass words. But, given that she pulled a bullet out of her shoulder without a second thought, he knew she was tougher than she seemed.

"I mean, I did get shot," She said, seeing Rhys pale immediately, her grin only widening. Jack couldn't help but cover his mouth, clearing his throat to not laugh at Rhys's expression. "But it's okay, I'm all healed," She reassured him, glancing over at Jack. "Jack had my back."

Rhys shot Jack a glare, but he didn't say anything, his gaze quickly shifting back to her. "As long as you're okay," He whispered, smiling down at her.

"I'm fine," She reassured him, hearing Jack scoff impatiently. "I just have to be careful with how much I use for a while," She continued, cupping Rhys's cheeks with her hands, smiling at him. "But, enough worrying. Let's get back to the celebration. I believe I'm owed a dance from both of you."

"I hope you know the Quickstep, Pumpkin," Jack whispered to her, wrapping his arm around her back, grabbing the middle of her back as the upbeat tempo began to play.

"My, my, are you underestimating me, Mister Handsome?" She whispered back to him, holding her hand out as they hopped around in a circle to the beat of the music, his hand keeping her close to him. Even though they hadn't rehearsed, she hadn't missed a step so far. Suddenly, he removed his hand from her back, watching as she gripped his waist, spinning around him, his hands grabbing hers as she twirled in his arms, her flowing dress spinning around her, bring all attention to them, just as he had wanted, his eyes watching her face light up in delight at the sudden change of pace. He had spent the last free weeks learning this dance to perfection just to make her happy - he knew how to Quickstep, it just wasn't his favorite, but he knew she loved all ballroom dances and a change of pace would make it even more enjoyable for them both. Twirling closer to him and further away from him as they moved closer to the edge of the crowd, he laughed in enjoyment for the first time in years - something he had forgotten how it felt to do -, watching her dress flow around her, in awe. She was graceful in everything she did.

Letting go of her hand once they turned around, he watched as she twirled around a few times away from him, him stepping quickly behind her, grabbing her hand, watching as she did one more twirl before sliding close to him again. She twirled out the other way, his grip holding her hand still, pulling her back to him before he grabbed her waist, bringing her down and sliding her around on the floor just slightly, her arm wrapping around his back, her head dipping back, all while her feet never lost their balance, even when she stood back up. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he steadied her, taking her hand in his as they would in the Foxtrot, her hand resting lightly against her exposed back as they quickly began to twirl around the room in quick, repeated motions, both of them laughing in delight, neither one missing a step. He was leading him more than her, but he didn't mind. As the beat picked up, they started to skip slightly, making their way back to the middle before they twirled again, their feet moving impeccable with one another, her dress flowing all around them as she moved her legs, adding more flare to the dance, which he quickly picked up and followed, their skipping beginning again as they trotted across the floor, both of them holding their footwork as they twirled around once again, all eyes on them with their graceful, movements with one another. Finally, they stopped in the middle of the floor, both of them twirling another three times, his grip going to her hands as he spun her out, her dress flowing around her as he pulled her closer to him, her shaking her hips slightly to the beat of the movement before the music stopped suddenly, applause coming from everyone, even Rhys as she smiled at him, before looking at Jack with twinkling eyes.

"You were messy, Mister Handsome," She whispered to him, feeling his grip go around her again as their usual Foxtrot music started playing, others joining the dancefloor now, most of them still mesmerized by the gracefulness of their movements, all of them intimidated to even dance with them at this point, Rhys included. 

"Messy?" He asked as they began to trot around the dancefloor, the playful smile on her lips giving her away. "Handsome Jack is never messy with dancing, Kitten," He purred to her, hearing her laugh as they trotted around the other couples, her dress flowing around her with each movement they made. Unlike the Quickstep, the Foxtrot was more relaxed.

"Fine, fine," She finally said, her smile still on her lips. "You did catch onto my movements fast, I'm impressed," She complimented him, his ego making a huge jump as he twirled her around to the beat of the music, their feet trotting gracefully along the floor again, matching each other's movements. "Though, I am surprised," She continued, staring up at him as the music started to slow, signaling the near ending. "I figured you would've picked the Waltz for us."

"I figured you and Rhys could enjoy that since we've been teaching him that one," He whispered to her, grinning when her cheeks flushed. "Though, we all know I'm the better dancer."

"You're insufferable," She teased, giggling at him, as they slowly moved from the dancefloor, the orchestra taking a brief break.

"And you're sexy," He teased back, giving her side a taunting squeeze. He'd grope her, but there were already so many women shooting daggers at her. She rolled his eyes, feeling him unwrap himself from her, watching him make his way toward the refreshment area, intending on greeting the other CEOs to hopefully charm them.

"That was amazing," Rhys said, gripping her hands lightly as she beamed up at him. The applause already had her excited, but hearing it from Rhys made it even more enjoyable. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him with a grin, hearing a few disheartening comments behind them, but he ignored them. It really wasn't anybody's business what her relationship was with Rhys and Jack but theirs. 

"Think you'll be able to match my movements during the Waltz, then?" She asked, resting her hands against his shoulders. She was on too much of a good mood high to worry about the looks and words that were being whispered around her. 

"I hope so," He responded, kissing her forehead lightly. "That rose looks so beautiful in your hair, Baby," He whispered to her, seeing her eyes twinkle from joy. 

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" She asked him softly, seeing him close his eyes, chuckling. 

"I wonder that every day about you," He answered back to her just as softly, pressing his lips sweetly to her lips, kissing her sweetly which she happily returned, her hands moving from around his shoulders to around his neck, his hands wrapping around her waist, holding her close to him in a tight embrace. He had realized earlier while looking for her, he didn't know what he'd do without her anymore. She was always there when he woke up and always there when he went to bed. Every time he was having a bad day, she'd cheer him up, even if she was bad at comforting, she still tried her hardest. The realization had hit him that he was leaving for Promethea soon, and the desperation in his kiss increased. He didn't want to leave her, but he knew he had to. He didn't have a choice.

"Rhys?" She asked softly, breaking away from their kiss. She could feel the worry coming from him, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to leave you," He whispered to her, his grip on her tightening slightly, her cheeks flushing a bright crimson at his sweet words.

"Rhysie, it's not permanent," She reassured him, moving her left hand to cup his cheek, her thumb running along his skin. "I'll come to visit as much as I can. You know that."

"Why can't you just come with me?" 

She frowned. She didn't have a good answer for that. "Baby," She started in a gentle tone, smiling up at him. "I'd be putting you in harm's way," She paused. It wasn't a lie.

"I don't care about that," He whined.

"But I do. I can't come with you until you're settled. We talked about this."

"I don't want you to leave me for Jack," He finally admitted, looking away from her.

She blinked her eyes at him, mostly in shock from his words. "I thought we were past this," She said, seeing his look of distraught. She smiled up at him, pinching his cheek softly. "Rhys, nobody is going to replace you," She reassured him, seeing the double in his eyes. "I promise" She whispered to him, looking back at a busy Jack, stepping out of his arms, grabbing his hand and leading him somewhere more private - behind the giant stairway. Nobody came back here from what she had noticed. 

"What brings this back up?" She asked him, seeing him look away from her in shame again.

"The way you were laughing and smiling while dancing with him. It just... made me uncomfortable to know I don't do that for you," He confessed, her eyes slowly blinking again.

"What? You have done that for me. Several times," She reassured him, cupping his cheek again. "Do you not remember that night when you were teaching me how to play basic card games and bested Jack?" He looked up at her, a small smile coming across his lips. He did remember that. It was just Go Fish but when he won against Jack, Jack got mad and started cussing and throwing his hands around while Rhys poked fun at him, saying he 'couldn't even win a kid's game'. That night, Adelia smiled and laughed the way she did tonight. "Or that time we _did_ watch a horror movie and you were so scared, you buried your face in my breasts?" He chuckled. That was before they even moved in with Jack. Before they had even been intimate with each other. "Or when you gave yourself a fake mohawk in the shower and asked what I thought of it," She continued, smiling when he laughed. 

"You just looked at me so confused and laughed. But you said if it'd make me happy, you'd adjust," He said, recalling that from a few nights ago. 

"Exactly," She said, sliding her hands up his chest, keeping eye contact with him. "Rhys, I picked you. I could've been a smartass and picked Jack, but I didn't. I know that my relationship with Jack worries you now since it's... escalated, but it all comes down to the fact that you're who I was with first. I will always be closer to you than I will be him. I do care about him, but I care about you, too. I'm not going to leave you for him. You're just as special to me as he is." He stayed quiet. They had had this talk several times and he knew when it came down to it, he wasn't going to be able to handle her alone, especially during her ovulation cycles.

"Okay," He whispered, slowly sliding his hands around her waist, slowly backing her up against the wall, a quiet giggle coming from her when her back hit the cool wall. "Then you better come visit me at least four times a week. Maybe more," He said seriously, his eyes gazing down into hers.

"I'll do the best I can," She whispered, gripping his tie in her hands, pulling him closer to her. 

He chuckled lowly, leaning down, bringing his face closer to hers, but stopping just shy of grazing her lips with his. "Is this what you want, Baby?" He asked her in a seductive whisper, her body shuddering at him quoting her, a smile on her face.

"Yes," She answered him without hesitation, both of them closing their eyes, his lips kissing her in a needing manner, his hands gripping her hips lightly when she returned his needing kiss with one of her own. She did need him. More than he knew. She was just as worried about him going to Promethea as he was - worried for his safety more than their relationship, but the point remained. Suddenly, she realized something, breaking their kiss, staring up at his confused face. "What if you started on Elpis instead? Or Pandora?" She asked, seeing his confused expression turn into a grin. "I think Jack would prefer you to be closer while you're just starting out, after all. You can move to Promethea later."

He laughed, squeezing her tightly to him in an embrace. "You're so amazing, Addy. I hadn't even thought of that," He paused, frowning soon after. "But what about after? When I do move there?"

"Maybe, by then, you'll be used to me being around Jack more," She explained, seeing him slowly nod. That was true. He wasn't really _opposed_ to her being with Jack, he was just insecure about it; he felt less than Jack, even though Jack had begun to treat him as his equal for a while now, but he still felt like Jack could take her from him if he tried. "Rhysie," She whispered, snapping him out of his trance. "I'm not leaving you for him. You were my first and I love you. That's not going to change."

Hearing those three words from her made his heart pound against his chest. "I love you, Adelia," He whispered back to her. They had made a habit of never saying 'too' to each other. Both of them liked it more without it.

"Now," She spoke softly, fixing his vest and tux with a smile. "Let's go dance."

"Just don't chastise me if I mess up, Baby," He teased, holding his cybernetic arm out to her which she gladly took, following along the side of him as the Waltz music slowly began to play.

"Just follow my lead," She smiled at him feeling him take her hand in his left, his right hand making her shiver as the cool metal touched her bare skin. Slowly, she began to lead him around gracefully, his eyes watching her as he tensed slightly, almost messing up, but she didn't let him as they danced around slowly, the few repeated twirls they had practiced nearly making him stumble, but she caught him, a smile on her face as he danced around with her. He wasn't as graceful as Jack, but he still got an A for effort. "Relax, Baby," She whispered to him. "The tenser you are, the more mistakes you'll make." Meanwhile, Jack had sat out this dance, watching from the refreshment bars with a glass of champagne in his hand, his left hand tucked into his pants pocket, his heterochromatic eyes watching in amusement as Rhys messed up. To any of these uncultured people, they wouldn't have noticed - Adelia was far too good of a leader to let it be noticed by someone untrained.

Rhys stepped back, keeping a light grip on her, relaxing a bit as he let her take the lead again, smiling when she happily obliged, matching his footwork with her own. She adjusted to his clumsiness by not putting her feet right on top of his like she'd do Jack. As they twirled again, her dress flowed around her, similar to how it had done with Jack during the Quickstep, Rhys's eyes twinkling as he saw the delight shining in her eyes, that heartwarming smile plastered across her face as they danced around through the others effortlessly. He no longer was focusing on dancing, but just on her, and it showed. His footwork improved slightly, but not enough to cover up the few mistakes he made to Jack, but she made it up with footwork of her own, purposely twirling them a few extra times, the twirls quick this time, causing her dress to flow around her even more, flying up ever so slightly. He blushed, hearing her laugh in bliss, a smile of his own plastered across his face. He wasn't much of a dancer, but for her to be enjoying it with him, well, that was all that mattered.

As the dance slowly came to an end, she edged them closer to the exit of the dancefloor, smiling up at him when the music stopped completely. "Not bad," She said, sliding her hands down his arms, gripping them softly, his hands wrapping around her waist. He wasn't Jack when it came to dancing, but he was trying, and most importantly, he enjoyed himself, and so did she. "But, we're going to have to practice more," She whispered, seeing his face pale slightly. Her training was ruthless, especially when Jack teamed up with her.

"Hey there Pumpkin, Kiddo," Jack said, placing a hand on Rhys's shoulder. "You messed up quite a bit, Rhysie," He teased, pinching Rhys's side, making him shift away from the other male. "You're lucky you had such a talented dance partner to cover your mistakes, but shame on you for making her lead so much," He continued, smirking over at Adelia who just laughed, watching as Rhys unwrapped himself from her, scooting away from her to move away from Jack. 

"Hey, he's learning," She said, rolling her eyes with a smile as Rhys gripped her shoulders, using her as a human shield, shooting daggers at Jack. "He did better than I expected," She defended him, crossing her arms over her chest, meeting Jack's gaze with her own.

"How about we show him how it's done, Pumpkin?" He asked, her cheeks flushing at the thought of the last time they did the Waltz together. It ended with a lot of emotions tied into it.

"Actually," She started. "I'm ready to go home," It wasn't a lie. She used a good bit of her powers for healing today. She was tired. "Plus, you already got two dances out of me."

"Alright, alright," Jack said, putting his hands up in defense. "We'll go home then, Pumpkin."

"Thank you," Rhys and she both said, smiling at each other. He was tired, too. Probably because he got hauled out by the crowd, but he still had worried.

Jack led them back towards the secret entrance, leading them through it after it opened, Jack ahead of them, followed by Rhys who was gripping Adelia's hand. Releasing her hand for just a minute to fix his tie that was aggravating his skin, he heard a little scuffling behind them, Jack and him both turning to look, only to find that Adelia was nowhere to be seen. "Addy?" He called out, panic rising as he felt her own panic. She was weak. He knew she was weak.

Jack squinted his eyes, looking down the slowly darkening corridor. "Pumpkin?" He called out soon after Rhys. When neither got a response, they looked at each other, both of them running down the corridor again, looking for her, but only finding the rose Rhys had placed in her hair resting on the ground.

Kneeling down, he picked it up slowly, looking at Jack with a horrified face. Neither one of them needed to say anything as the realization hit them. 

Maliwan has Adelia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those curious about the Quickstep dance Jack and Adelia were performing, I referenced this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=musrN7S6lp4


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will have a lot of back and forth between Adelia and Jack and Rhys. I'll put a note before each shift, but please keep that in mind when reading.  
> It also will probably be shorter than the others. I apologize and promise to try and make it up in the next chapter.

_**On Helios...** _

Jack paced around his office, fuming with fury while Rhys sat, slumped down in a chair across from Jack's desk, staring at the rose he put in Adelia's hair. 

"How the fuck did they get in there?" Jack said, growling in annoyance. "I thought we were in the clear after the attack earlier."

"Is now really the time?" Rhys asked, twirling the rose around. He could feel Adelia's fear and anger, and it made him uncomfortably numb to not know where she was. "Can't you just call Katagawa and tell him to bring her back with a threat or something? I don't know, _anything_?"

"Even if I offered to buy her back," Jack said, stopping at his desk, his bi-colored gaze burning into Rhys. "Katagawa probably already dropped her off on Pandora or had someone do his dirty work for him."

"It's worth a shot, isn't it?" He asked, staring back at him. Despite his calm composure compared to the furious Jack, he was actually in internal hysterics.

_**To Adelia, Pandora...** _

Coming to, Adelia blinked her eyes, meeting the bi-colored gaze of Katagawa's. "Such a shame you didn't willingly come with me the first time," He said, gripping her chin in his hand, chuckling darkly as the two bandits he hired tugged on her arms, slamming to the ground. "Now, look at you, you're going to be used by bandits."

"Jack's going to kill you when he finds you," Adelia responded, shooting him a death glare. Her hands were tied behind her back, her feet, free but barefooted, and the bandits hovering over the cage didn't help her stress level any. 

"Bold of you to assume he'll find me," He shot back, gripping the cage with a sadistic grin. If she could just get her hands free. "I've been watching you for months now, you're weaker than you act," He explained, that stupid grin pissing her off more and more. He wasn't lying, she had been weak and was weak from healing her wounds earlier, but she could still handle this. She hoped. She wiggled her hands against the rope, trying to loosen it as she shot daggers at him. "Oh, and would you look at that? It's your 'lover boy'," He said as a ringing rang out in the nearly empty room, his head nodding to the bandits to hold her up by the ropes, making sure she was visible in the background as he answered the call with a cocky smirk, Jack's pissed off face only growing more pissed when he saw her.

"You have a lot fuckin' nerve," He said, the veins in his head pulsating slightly from rage. 

"Do I? I believe I did try to bargain with you several times," Katagawa said, waving his hands back to the bandits, both of them looking at each other before looking down at the petite girl. The left one reared his hand back, punching her across the face, the taste of iron flooding her mouth as she grunted, her cheek already bruising. If she kept taking damage, she really would be too weak to fight back when she got loose.

"I'll kill you, you fuckin' parasite," Jack snarled through the hologram, slamming his fist down on the desk. He was furious. He couldn't make out where she was, just that she was with Katagawa Junior. 

"Such a bad mouth," He antagonized Jack further, flicking his hand again, another fist connecting with Adelia's face, this time further up, blackening her eye. "Does a king go mad when he loses his queen? I guess we'll find out. With the money I make from selling her, I won't even have to worry about running Maliwan," He continued, Jack growing angrier by the moment, her good eye looking up at the hologram. She was healing, but she managed to force the process to slow down. She needed to preserve her power. 

"What do you want, Katagawa?!" Rhys exclaimed, his eyes widening as he saw Adelia held up by the pair of bandits. 

"Want? It's not about what I want anymore," Katagawa said, smirking at Rhys. "I have what I want."

"Listen here you fuckin' imbecile. I will find you and I will-" Jack started, only to be cut off as Katagawa hung up the call, turning to look at her.

"Now," He said, smirking. "I believe it's time we've said our goodbyes."

"Eat shit," She said, spitting blood at him, smirking when it landed on his face.

"Clever," He sarcastically stated, wiping the blood off of his face with the back of his hand. "Do what you will with her, just make sure I get my money," He barked to the bandits, walking off.

The bandits looked at each other before staring down at her. "Is she really a Siren?" The one who punched her asked, looking at his partner.

"I have no idea. She doesn't have markings."

"How about you untie me and find out?" She asked, getting a glare in response from them. Though, they were curious. Sirens couldn't hide their knowledge (as far as they knew), and they were much bigger than her. It'd be easy for them to overpower her if necessary.

"No funny shit, only because your bruised wrists aren't gonna sell well," The one on the left said, cutting her ropes off as she bit back a smirk, slowly standing up. Thank the heavens bandits were morons.

_**Back to Jack and Rhys, Helios...** _

Jack was more than furious. He was livid. He practically had steam coming out of his ears as he stood up, looking at a panicking Rhys. "Get your shit together, Kiddo. We're going to Pandora," He spoke darkly, his anger overpowering his logical thoughts. He was going to make Katagawa pay.

_**On Pandora...** _

Jack was quickly walking into Opportunity, everyone stopping to stare at his severely bloodied attire, murmuring amongst themselves as Rhys followed behind him. Rhys was angry, too, but he wasn't violent unless he needed to be, plus, seeing Jack singlehandedly take out the Maliwan base by Opportunity with just his pistol and his hands terrified him even further. Granted, it was a smaller base, but still. There were at least ten people against the two of them and he wasn't exactly any help beyond taking out one guy, then freaking out immediately after. And he didn't even kill the dude, he just smacked him with his stun stick while Jack strangled him last, saying they 'couldn't leave any witnesses' and, when he asked why choking, he just said, 'this isn't choking, Cupcake, it's strangulation'.

"Sir!" The guards said, saluting to him, but not glancing at him, watching as he and Rhys stepped inside of the city.

"What are we doing here?" Rhys asked, staying a bit behind Jack. He wanted to be able to duck and cover if Jack lost his cool again.

"I had a tracker implanted in her when I brought her to the doc the other day," He responded, marching through the front of his office, Rhys blinking slowly, but following him to the elevator. It was no Helios, but you could tell it was designed by Jack. The statues of him everywhere gave that away, plus, Opportunity was _his_ city people paid to get into.

"How do you know she didn't dig it out or deactivate it?" He asked, watching as Jack pressed the button in the elevator to rise to the top floor - of course, the top floor would always be his office.

"If she did," Jack started, glancing at Rhys with a murderous glint. "Then we've got a lot of friggin' bandits to kill." Rhys paled, praying the tracker was still active.

_**Back to Adelia...** _

"Well, she doesn't look like a Siren," The bandit who punched her said, walking around her, touching her skin, making her grimace with disgust. She wasn't going to fight back. Not yet. She needed to know where she was first.

"I mean, that rich idiot thinks we're gonna give him his money," The other guard said, letting out a burst of malicious laughter. "Even if she's not, look at those eyes. They'll go for a pretty penny. Plus, look at that body." She scowled even more disgusted.

"Where am I, anyway?" She asked, crossing her arms across her chest. It was cold. She knew she was on Pandora, but that's as far as she knew. If she had to guess, she'd be near or in Liar's Berg, based on how much colder it was here than she had expected.

"That's none of your business," The bandit said, grabbing a fistful of her hair, forcing her to look up at his masked face, letting out a whistle. "Damn, these grey eyes of yours _will_ go for a pretty penny," He commented, laughing at the look of malice on her face.

Suddenly, the guards dropped to the ground, blood coming from their bodies, a robotic voice coming from the shadows, "The tundra is cold/You should thank your luck I'm here/Let us head to Sanctuary."

Adelia squinted, letting out a breath around her hands, stepping closer to the shadowed figure. She knew who it was without having to see him. It was Zer0, she recognized his odd way of speaking before. "Why bother saving me?" She asked, looking at him as three red dots appeared across his mask. She moved to pick her heels up from the nearby table, sliding them on. She really would like to use as little powers as possible after the abuse she had endured.

"You are a special Siren/Pandora has been at peace/War will begin anew," He answered, a red ":)" appearing on his mask. "Maliwan has persistence/They keep trying to buy me/I followed them here."

She covered her mouth at how cute that was. He wasn't her type, but to see the little emojis like that pop over his mask were adorable. "That makes sense, considering they've been trying to start a war with Hyperion."

"Jack has been helping/I assume you're to thank for that/You look cold; let's go," He said, seeing her shiver slightly as the wind blew in through a few cracks in the wall. She wasn't wearing anything but the dress Jack had bought her, and it was less than warming in the harsh chill of the Southern Shelf.

"With all due respect, I think if I popped up in Sanctuary, it'd only cause more problems than good," She said, following behind him through the snow. Not surprisingly, snow and heels didn't go together. At all. She kept stumbling through the thick snow, nearly falling on her face every step she took. After the fifth step, she pulled her heels off, picking them up and holding them in her hands, the purple glow coming around her feet as she walked, preventing her from sinking. It was a lot easier for her to cover her own feet alone than for her to cover her feet plus any shoes she was wearing.

"Where do you suggest?/Sanctuary is secured/Inform me of where," He said, leading her to the boat he rode in on to get them out of here. Not surprisingly, the fast travel station close to them was broken, so they have to take a more traditional route.

"Opportunity," She started, Zer0 turning to face her. "You don't have to come in with me, just escort me to the area and I'll go from there. I know Jack isn't exactly fond of Vault Hunters or the Crimson Raiders and it'd be risking your safety. He's not exactly in a good mood from what I had seen," She continued to explain, dots coming up on his mask again.

"Very well, we'll go there/But I cannot promise your safety/You will be alone," He said, making his way across the ice with her following behind him. Once they arrived at the bot, she stepped on, shivering when the wind hit her again, shaking lightly. The trip to the mainland wasn't long, but it was cold. 

She watched as they approached Three Horns Divide, a group of Maliwan soldiers ready to meet them at the shore.

"This isn't good," She said, looking at Zer0.

"I will protect you/Unless you have another plan/There is no other choice," He said.

"I have an idea," She responded, looking at him. It was a bad idea, but it'd work. She could teleport him to Sanctuary and herself to her hidden hideout. She'd go to Opportunity, but that was too dangerous after last time. Katagawa tracked her down there the first time and ordered an attack, and now with Rhys there, there wasn't much she could do but either that or face the army on with Zer0, and she wasn't the strongest currently, especially after healing the wounds from the bandits absorbed more of her power than expected.

_**Back to Jack and Rhys...** _

Rhys had sent the blueprints down to the 'expendable' workers, but he had never seen the Opportunity base up close. It was just as magnificent as Helios, only on a smaller scale. The office held windows all around that shut with a push of a button to protect the residents from any possible rockets, not to mention, the glass was a new bulletproof glass - thicker than usual. Sitting in a chair similar to the one on Helios, Jack powered up the computer, Rhys cautiously taking a seat in front of the desk. Jack was in his usual attire now - his multiple layered shirts, jeans, and his regular sneakers while Rhys had dressed in a warm, red sweater, the boots he had worn a few months ago, and black pants.

"Couldn't you have tracked her on Helios?" Rhys asked, looking over at Jack tapping at the keyboard impatiently, waiting for the computer to find her location.

"If I tracked her on Helios, she would've been long gone by the time we arrive," Jack said, his eyes glancing across the screen, looking for the blue dot on the map. "I can't find her," He spoke lowly, furrowing his brows. She either deactivated the tracking chip or Katagawa did. Either was plausible.

Rhys felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach, his grip tensing on the arms of the chair. "Now what?" He asked quietly. He was worried about Adelia. Suddenly, he could barely feel her, which meant she had used her powers more. Not to mention, he had a throbbing headache and his markings were throbbing even more - he knew she used too much of her power already, probably in an effort to get away, his head resting in his hands on instinct. The headache was throbbing. She was weaker now than she had been before when he first had gotten marked. "If she's safe, she's weak," He finally piped up, Jack's gaze shifting to him immediately. He was fighting a constant, inner hysteria at this point. He wanted Adelia back. He needed her back. And Jack felt the same.

"What?"

"I can feel how weak she is," He said, pointing to his covered, marked arm. "It's hard to explain, but she's weak. I can feel it."

"Not what I wanted to hear, Rhysie," Jack said through clenched teeth, standing up. "I guess we have to pay the Crimson Bandits a visit to see if they know anything."

Rhys stood up, staring at Jack with an anxious expression. "Do you think that's a good idea? Adelia isn't here to have our backs anymore-"

"I'm _the_ Handsome Goddamn Jack. If they start anything, _I'll handle them,_ " He spat out, already leaving the office and Rhys behind.

Rhys quickly caught up to Jack, breathing heavily as he tried to catch his breath. Jack wasn't running, but he was walking way faster than Rhys normally did, and honestly, Rhys was pretty out of shape when it came to running around on Pandora, especially with the weight of his cybernetic arm weighing him down more than on Helios. As pissed as it made Jack, he knew Rhys had a point. There was no logical reason Lilith or the others wouldn't try to put a bullet between his, and Rhys's, eyes. Not to mention, Rhys was friggin' useless when it came to conflict. He could probably hold his own, especially since he could request loader bots, but Rhys? There was no way he could protect him. And if he dies, she dies. She already told Jack that. But he couldn't worry about that. If she was really as weak as Rhys suspected, they were on a time limit.

And with that, they were on their way to Sanctuary.

_**Back to Adelia, moments before Rhys felt weak...** _

"If Jack and Rhys come to Sanctuary, stop them before they reach Lilith. Jack may be agreeing on the truce, but he still hates her, and vice versa" She said, looking at Zer0, who just nodded. "Not to mention, most of Sanctuary hates him. If he enters without me, it'd be starting a war. Tell them they know where to find me."

"This is very risky/Are you sure you will be safe?/We could take our chances," Zer0 said back. He didn't know Adelia well, but as someone who was also not human, he did feel her good intentions, despite her brass behavior. She did singlehandedly prevent Jack from starting another war after saving him from them, not to mention, from what Lilith had said, she had him 'tamed'. The new guns also helped them out a lot, especially with rouge psychos charging into Sanctuary more and more every day.

"It's too risky to take our chances. It'll be easier this way," She said, snapping her finger as Zer0 and her both disappeared into a few particles of light, using the majority of her power to get them to two different locations - Zer0 to Sanctuary and her to the oasis. As she rematerialized above the water, she fell down to her knees, blood dripping from her nose and mouth as she coughed. It was too much for her to do that. She used too much of her power to heal. She knew that, but she didn't see any other way. She let out a shaky breath, her vision doubled as her Rakk flew down beside her, squawking angrily at her as if it was chastising her.

"I know, I messed up again," She said weakly, smiling at the Rakk, blood dripping down her face. "I need you to have someone lead them here," She said, slowly crawling out of the water, resting against the cool rock. It was much cooler down here than it had been on the surface, but she couldn't do anything about it. She knew down here, she was safe. The Rakk squawked, offering itself to go get them. "No, it can't be you," She said, smiling at it weakly. "You're the last original of what I created. I don't want you to go, too," She whispered, watching as the creature stared at her, before squawking upward to a younger Rakk - much smaller and more like a parrot size - who came flying down, perching on Adelia's leg. She brought her hand to the ribbon across the middle of her dress, untying it and ripping it slowly, tying a little, and sloppy, bow around the younger Rakk's neck. "Find Jack and Rhys. Lead them here, but watch out for bullets," She said, her vision having black spots forming, but she still remained consciousness, mostly because her Rakk kept pecking her cheek every time she started to fall over, keeping her awake. 

If she fell asleep, she'd fall into a deep slumber again, even though she knew deep down, it was going to have to happen again, no matter what she did. She watched as the young Rakk took off, flying through the hole of the cave, leaving nothing behind it as it flew off. It knew who Rhys and Jack were - especially Rhys, since he played with them frequently while Jack walked around, examining everything -, and could recognize their scent from miles away, following the most recent trail until it hit another trail, leading it to Sanctuary.

The Rakk next to her squawked at her, nuzzling its face against her, desperate to keep her awake, but it was failing, watching while the Skags ran over to her, having been lower underground to keep their warmth. They could feel something was wrong with her the second she stepped foot in here. The pup that Rhys had grown attacked to yapped at her, the alpha howling, doing everything they could to keep her awake. If she went back into a hibernated state, it meant they'd be at risk again, and none of them wanted to risk that.

But all of it was pointless as she closed her eyes, the blood drying against her face as she slumped over, her head hitting the grass, her consciousness failing, and quickly. "I'm sorry," She whispered out.

_**Back to Jack, Rhys, and now Zer0...** _

Jack stomped through the now wrecked Maliwan camp near Sanctuary, dead bodies littering the way, stopping only when Zer0 materialized in front of them, Jack pulling a gun and pointing it at Zer0. "I'm not here for you," He threatened. He was low on bullets and for a loader bot to send more would take at least five minutes. He didn't have five minutes, based on how bad Rhys was now freaking out next to him.

"She is alive but hidden/Go to the location you share/You will find her there," Was all Zer0 said, all of three of their attentions turning to the small Rakk squawking loudly, diving down to Jack, who shifted his gun to it.

"Wait!" Rhys said, hitting Jack's arm down as he fired, nearly missing the Rakk. "That's one of Addy's!" He said, meeting Jack's glare with his own, his cybernetic eye having enhanced on the bow tied around its neck when it squawked the first time. He held his right arm out as the small creature landed on him, squawking excitedly.

"Son of a bitch, it is," Jack said, staring at it squawking at Rhys in a hurry, trying desperately to communicate with him. He reached out, untying the bow from around the neck, seeing traces of blood on it. 

"If she sent this, then-"  
"She's in a lot of friggin' trouble with the Maliwan dicks," Jack finished for him, both of them looking at each other before looking at the Rakk who took off, leading them back the way it came. Zer0, though, turned and headed into Sanctuary. He had to inform Lilith and the other Crimson Raiders of the impending war with Maliwan.

* * *

Surprisingly, neither Jack nor Rhys had realized how close her hideout was to Sanctuary. Of course, Jack did steal one of Maliwan's vehicles and drove after the Rakk with Rhys clinging onto the side of the vehicle for his life, but the point remained. Within fifteen minutes, they had arrived at the cliff, neither one sure how to get down now. He could call in another loader bot, but that'd take too long.

"How do we get down?" Rhys asked, practically reading Jack's mind, the Rakk squawking, landing near the hole that psychos and other bandits typically fell down. It was a considerable hole. They could both fit if they fell, but the fall would kill them unless there was cushion below. "Is that safe?" Rhys asked the Rakk, Jack stepping out of the vehicle, setting one of Maliwan's guns down on the pedal, watching as the vehicle drove itself off the cliff. He wasn't about to give up their locations to stupid bandits. Not when they were so close to getting her back.

When he looked back to where Rhys was, Rhys was already gone, the Rakk squawking angrily at Jack, hopping around the hole. "You still alive down there, Kiddo?" Jack called out, looking down the hole.

"Yeah!" Rhys called back, having been caught by his clothes by several of the Rakks, his eyes searching for Adelia as Jack sat on the edge of the hole, dropping down in it soon after, the Rakks circling the hole catching him similar as they had done Rhys, lowering him down to the ground. Both of their eyes stopped, seeing all of the creatures surrounding her bloodied, unconscious body collapsed in the grass, her Rakk nudging her with its beak.

"I'll kill that fuckin' bandit," Jack snarled, running over to her with Rhys, both of them grabbing one of her arms, slowly lifting her.

"Addy," Rhys said, his left hand touching her face, his expression darkening at how cold she felt. "Addy," He repeated again, this time more panicked, helping Jack sit her up.

"C'mon, Kitten," Jack mumbled, slapping her cheek lightly.

Her Rakk squawked loudly, pecking her other cheek, leaving a slight bruise on her, trying to wake her up. It was no secret that all of them were worried about her. She had dried blood from her nose and mouth dripping down on her dress, she was cold, and she barely had a heartbeat. "Wake up, Addy," Rhys whispered to her, worry written all over his and Jack's face. He tugged up the sleeve on his left arm, Jack watching him as he picked up her hand, placing it on his mark softly. Normally, she had to purposely drain from him, but maybe this would work. A bright, but quick, light came from her hand, forcing Jack and Rhys to look away, the other creatures whimpering as they backed away, all looking away from the light.

She groaned weakly, both Jack and Rhys having relief wash over them as she opened her grey eyes slowly, looking at them. "You made it," She whispered, smiling at them, the blood in her mouth earlier having stained some of her teeth, which only increased Jack's rage more. They dared to lay a hand on her. They'll pay for it.

"We're here," Rhys whispered to her, cupping his cybernetic hand over hers, slowly standing up, both he and Jack helping her up slowly.

"Jesus Fuckin' Christ, Pumpkin," Jack whispered, both men steadying her as they walked toward the Vault gate. "I thought you were dead," He confessed, seeing Rhys nod in agreement.

"I thought we were too late," He said, guiding her toward the entrance, both of them guiding her through it, despite her weakened state. They knew what to do after last time. 

"Creator," The Wraith said, approaching the three, the Traveler roaring in front of them as the Wraith ushered them over to the pedestal, both men slowly laying her on it. "You will not be able to leave the Vault this time," It said, both Rhys and Jack tensing at the words. Surely, they didn't hear it right. 

"What do you mean she won't be able to leave?" Rhys asked before Jack could, fear washing over him.

"She is far too weak to be in the world. She needs to rest before going back out," The Wraith responded, looking between Jack and Rhys.

"What if you mark me?" Jack interjected, pointing to the blue mark on his wrist, Adelia barely even conscious, despite resting against the Eridium infused pedestal. She looked over at them and smiled weakly, Rhys taking her hand in his while Jack glared at the Wraith.

"Addy," Rhys started softly, staring down at her with a sad expression. "Don't leave us."

"I am afraid the Creator does not have much choice," The Wraith piped in, breaking its staredown with Jack. "Even if you are marked again, she needs to rest the restore her strength, and that has to be done here."

"You've gotta be fuckin' bullshittin' me," Jack said, running his hands through his hands. After tonight, he had felt closer to her than ever before. The way they had danced across the floor, the way he laughed with her, that pure bliss of happiness again. And now it was being ripped away from him because of the asshole in Maliwan? Oh, he was going to pay.

"Fret not," The Wraith started, as she moved her hand up, softly grasping Rhys's hand weakly in hers. "It will only be a temporary stay."

Rhys took a shaky gulp, looking at Jack, before glancing at the Wraith. "How long?"

"That depends on her," It began. "It can take anywhere from a week to years."

The two of them stared at each other, Adelia's grip on Rhys's hand loosening as she fell in and out of consciousness. She was tired. She needed to stay awake, but she was _so_ exhausted. Rhys looked at Adelia with a panicked expression, feeling her grip slacken on his. "Addy," He whispered to her, seeing her grey eyes glazed over. She was there, but she wasn't. The Wraith wasn't kidding. "I'm so sorry," He whispered to her as Jack clenched his fists. 

"However," The Wraith began again, looking at Jack. "When the Creator reawakens, you will have to be marked for her. She will no longer be able to survive off of just one source."

"I thought she didn't need to mark him," Rhys said, shifting his gaze from Adelia to the Wraith.

"Yes, she didn't when she had enough power to leech without harming either of them, but now, she does not. She is stubborn, she will not stay in the Vault longer than she needs to, which means she will be weaker than before. Two sources for her will be better than one. She will also be able to reach her full potential that way, whereas, she could only reach a fraction with just one of you." Jack and Rhys stared at each other. He didn't want to be marked again any more than Rhys wanted him marked. "That also means, she will no longer have weakened spells like this. She will have enough energy to function in day to day life."

"Jack..." Rhys said, glancing at him. He already knew. If he wanted her, he had to do this. But he really didn't want to. He knew she'd always really be Rhys's, but, he couldn't help but think back to how she laughed with him earlier when they danced. The synergy they had. The moans she made when he touched her just right. He had felt dead inside for years before he met her, but now? He felt alive. He felt... Safe with her.

"Fine," Jack finally answered, looking at the Wraith. "I'll do it." And with that, the Wraith led Jack back.

"Rhysie," Adelia said soon after, barely conscious as she turned her head to look at him, her hand reaching out to cup his cheek softly. "Don't wait for me if you don't want to," She whispered to him, feeling his cold, metal hand grip hers.

"Addy, there's nobody else but you," He whispered back to her, a single tear rolling down his cheek. He knew this was goodbye. He just didn't know for how long or if he'd even be alive when she came back out. "I love you," He continued, seeing her smile at him, his left hand moving to softly wipe away some of the dried blood from her lips with his sleeve. Since he landed in the water, his shirt was relatively wet, which made the blood come off easily.

"I love you, Rhys," She whispered back to him, "I'll see you again," She continued, her eyes closing soon after as her body relaxed, her hand growing slack against his as he held back a choked sob. She was the first woman he had ever loved so intensely, and now, it felt like half of him was gone. Even if it was temporary, the pain and emptiness he felt were all too real. Carefully, he placed her hand over her stomach, placing the rose he had placed in her hair for the dance under her hand. Taking a shaky breath, he bit back the tears. He wanted to cry, but he knew he couldn't. Not around Jack. He wanted to do it alone.

Seconds later, Jack back, letting out a string of curses. Of course, his marking was just like before, right across his face, only this time, it didn't blind his eye. He also had some markings on his back, but he couldn't see how they looked. It didn't hurt nearly as bad as it did when Lilith broke the artifact into his face, but it still hurt. And it meant he was going to have to wear his mask again. He paused, seeing Rhys run his hand over a very unconscious Adelia's face, his heart dropping. He didn't get to say goodbye.

"The Creator has returned to her slumber," The Wraith said, brushing past Jack, the pedestal moving down and to the ground as a purple light engulfed her, the Vault trembling around them. "When she is awake, you will both know."

Rhys and Jack looked at each other, before looking at a peaceful looking Adelia, both of them reluctant to leave the Vault, but they eventually did, neither one saying anything on their way back to Helios.

And just like that, Adelia had left their lives just as easily as she had entered them.


	21. Chapter 21

It had been two years since Adelia went into a slumber. Rhys had gone through with his plan to rebuild Atlas on Promethea now that she wasn't around and Jack had officially declared war on Maliwan, but the war had ended just months ago, with Katagawa Senior declaring a truce. The whereabouts of his son unknown to all of them. There weren't as many casualties on Pandora as there had been when Jack declared war against the Crimson Raiders - probably because they were also on his side. Nobody knew where Adelia was except Rhys and Jack. They didn't dare to utter a word about it. To everyone else, Adelia was still as active as she had been before. And they planned to keep it that way. Lilith never asked and they never told. She just blindly followed Jack, much to his amusement and disgust - he still hated her for taking his Angel away from him, but over the last few years, the pain grew less and less.

Rhys held no interest in anyone else during those two years, despite numerous attempts from people trying to seduce him. Jack was the same, turning away everyone. Unfortunately, though, Jack had gone back to his cold ways without her warm touch to keep him grounded, but he didn't dare turn on Rhys. They had formed an unspoken partnership. Neither one of them spoke to the other much unless it was during meetings - it was just too painful for both of them; they knew when Adelia returned, they'd be around each other more, but for now, it was just too painful. Jack had made his appearances fewer and farther between at celebratory events, sending Timothy in his wake while he went to Pandora to take out bandits. He was the richest man in the universe, but only with money. When it came to happiness, he had none. Rhys wasn't far behind Jack - he had racked up quite a reputation and was making both he and Jack a lot of money, but to him, money was meaningless. He just wanted Adelia back by his side.

Both Jack and Rhys had attempted to get back to her Oasis to see her, but the hole had been filled in. Jack had worked on a secret fast travel station and installed it into the ground where only he and Rhys could access it, one that was completely hidden and off the grid to the rest of Hyperion and needed a secret code to get in - one only the two men had. Vaughn had left Hyperion to explore the "bandit life" on Pandora but always worked with Jack and the Crimson Raiders, trying his best to educate bandits so they'd be able to turn the planet around. Rhys surprisingly got along well with Lilith and had helped her rebuild Sanctuary to a decent glory, as well as donating prototype guns to them, allowing them to test them out since they were the ones who used them the most. The spread of bandits was also slowly expanding across the galaxy, meaning the demand for Hyperion and Atlas guns were growing. For every bandit killed, five more popped up, and the trade was even more violent than before. They were fairly certain Katagawa played a part in that, but they couldn't be sure, and even if he was, there was nothing they could do until they found him.

_**Current day, December 3rd, Helios...** _

Jack poured Rhys a glass of whiskey, both of them sitting in Jack's office in Opportunity, holding their glasses out to one another. "To another year of raging success," Jack said, holding his shot glass up.

"To another year of raging success," Rhys repeated, clinging the glass with Jack, both of them sipping their drinks, setting the glasses down. "I can't believe it's been two years already," Rhys said, watching as Jack poured them both another glass.

Jack tensed, stopping his hand from moving, looking at Rhys. They got together on this day both last year and this year, hoping that maybe, Adelia would wake up. Neither one brought it up, until now. "I know," Jack said, chuckling with a hollow smile. "It's been so friggin' boring without that smart ass mouth of hers."

"It has," Rhys agreed, sipping on his glass of whiskey. He hadn't been much of a drinker before, but he always made an effort to drink with Jack, mostly because he knew how lonely he was. Not only were they synced to Adelia's mood, but they were also synced to each other now, just not in a romantic way, honestly, the thought of them being romantic with each other grossed them both out. Jack because he was straight and Rhys because he just didn't find Jack attractive after living with him for nearly a year. The only feelings that really radiated between them were extreme feelings at that, and Rhys could never forget how Jack had felt last year - that hurt he felt will forever be engraved in Rhys's mind. "I miss waking up next to her," He finally said, twirling his cup around with his cybernetic arm. He had upgraded it not long after Atlas took off - instead of the yellow and white one he had, it was now red and black, as well as more technologically advanced. With the help of Jack, he had built a perfect, cybernetic arm.

"God, that was the friggin' best. Seeing those damned grey eyes of hers look up at you so innocently," Jack agreed, sipping on his whiskey, staring out the window. 

"And her smile," Rhys jumped in, slowly taking another sip. "That smile could take someone's breath away."

"It really could," He agreed, setting down the now empty glass by his mask. Normally, he never took it off, but when it was just him and Rhys, he didn't mind. "Nobody has ever come close to her."

"They haven't," He agreed with Jack, finishing off his second glass, setting it down on the desk. Both men had originally tried to seek partners just for sex a year after she fell into her slumber, but neither one of them could commit fully - they just didn't feel as real as she did. They always ended up backing out before they did anything beyond meeting up - they just couldn't get into the mood. "Her kisses were the best."

"Heh, yeah. I had to fight for my first friggin' kiss, but it was worth it," He responded, both of them laughing. They had grown comfortable with each other over the past two years. They knew when she returned, they'd have to share her even more than they were doing before, but that didn't bother either of them. Rhys had made it clear how he felt toward her and Jack had made his feelings clear. "Do you even have a house yet?" Jack asked, shifting his heterochromatic gaze to Rhys's brown and yellow one. Rhys had considered upgrading his eye to Atlas technology, but Jack said it was better to keep the Hyperion eye and agreed to upgrade it for him with some of the Atlas technology.

"No, I just sleep in my office, still," Rhys said, running his hand through his brown hair. "There's no point in building a house if I'm gonna be alone in it."

Jack stayed quiet. He understood that feeling all too well. "Well, y'know, when she wakes up, where are ya gonna stay?"

Rhys shrugged. "Probably just a hotel on Promethea. There's a lot of nice ones now," He answered, leaning back. Jack frowned. He may not have liked the idea of sharing Adelia at first, but based on what the Wraith said, both of them needed to be near her at nearly all times for the beginning for her to make a quicker recovery. "I thought about building a place on top of Atlas HQ, but I figured, I shouldn't, not until I know when she's going to wake up." That was a fair point. Rhys's life had gone from just data entry to running the security department, to running his own company because of her. None of this would've been possible without her. Well, it probably would've been, but it would've been a lot more complicated. And Jack wouldn't even be alive had she not stepped in that day. Not long after she fell into her slumber, he regained his memories of that day. The fact that she brought him to his office and forced the failsafe to activate to save him, knowing it'd jeopardize herself, not to mention, those sweet words of hers - "I'll take care of you, Jack" - made him realize how much she cared for him, even if she didn't show it. Every time he thought of those words, a chill ran down his spine. He couldn't help but be angry at her lying, but he knew it wasn't her entire fault. It was Katagawa's fault, and the war he waged against Maliwan further proved that.

Rhys looked at his watch, seeing how late it was. "I should probably get back to Promethea," He said, slowly standing up, sliding his jacket on his arms, both men freezing as a feeling of calmness rushed over them. They shared a glance at each other.

She'd be waking up soon. They could both feel it. "Did you-"

"Yeah, I felt it," Jack cut him off, both men staring out the window. Internally, they were jumping with joy, but they'd never show one another that. Placing his mask back on the clips, Jack stood up once the air suctioned out from behind it, shaping to his face, moving to slide on his top jacket, rolling the sleeves down to his other shirts since it had started to lightly snow, Rhys adjusting his jacket slightly, both of them looking at each other before leaving the office, on their way to where she was.

The snowfall had really picked up making it a struggle to find the hole under all the snow, when suddenly, the rock moved from the entrance, both of them shuffled over, seeing a tower of bullymongs carrying the rock away, setting it down by the entrance. Jack slipped through the hole first, eager to see her again after so long - he hadn't even gotten to say goodbye to her when she fell into the slumber and it had been gnawing at him since. As the Rakks carried him down, he froze as he saw her squatted down, petting the (now grown) Skag pup's head. As Rhys was set down next to him, the Skag barked, running over to Rhys, tackling him down. Jack ignored Rhys's chuckles as Adelia slowly stood back up, her black hair was now back to the middle of her back, her dress she was in that night still hugged her every curve, but she was slenderer than she had been - which is understandable -, and her markings were pale, but visible, against her fair skin.

"I missed you too," Rhys said, petting the Skag's head, seeing it wiggle its butt excitedly, running off of him as he slowly stood himself back up, dusting himself off, his eyes locking on Adelia this time, his heart nearly stopping in his chest. It had been so long since he had seen her. Jack slowly made the first move, stepping closer to her as she slowly turned, those breathtaking grey eyes knocking the breath out of Rhys, his heart pounding in his chest as he slowly walked toward her too, only his steps were hesitant. He almost couldn't believe it was real. It'd been two long years since he had seen her or heard her voice. Jack paused, staring at her. He felt the same as Rhys - it had been entirely too long since he had seen her, and he wasn't sure how to deal with all the emotions he felt. He wanted to take her in his arms, embrace her, kiss her, and everything else, but something was stopping him. The doubt. The fear. That she'd leave him again. He had grown cold over the last two years again and shut nearly everyone out again, ruling with a ruthless hand just as he had done before she came into the picture. But more than anything, he felt like he was dreaming. 

As her eyes fell on the two of them, she gave them one of her breathtaking smiles, turning fully toward them, the rose Rhys had left with her clipped in her hair. "I'm sorry I took so long," She said, her whimsical voice leaving a satisfying ringing in their ears. Rhys stepped next to Jack, still staring in disbelief, both of them remaining still, staring at her. If this was a dream, he didn't want to wake up and judging from Jack's face, he felt the same. Seeing them stay still, she took a step toward them, canting her head to the side. 

Rhys was the first to reach out to her, Jack still staring in disbelief. She looked so frail right now. He was scared to touch her, scared he'd break her. Granted, she looked like this before, but he had grown used to seeing her stronger, healthier. "Addy," Rhys whispered, stepping closer to her when his left hand touched her skin. It was warm against his skin. She smiled up at him, placing her hand over his, staring up at him as he stepped closer, her eyes widening at his sudden embrace, his arms pulling her close to him. Smiling, she wrapped her arms around his back, hugging him back gently, contrary to his tight hug. "It's really you," He continued, leaning back to look at her, his hands cupping her cheeks, his brown and honey gaze meeting her grey one. He was still in disbelief. She was here. In front of him. Smiling up at him.

"Who else would it be, Rhysie?" She asked, her smile turning into a grin at her teasing. He wasn't going to kiss her in front of Jack, but he couldn't help himself. He needed to feel her lips on his, to verify it was real, and with that thought, his lips collided with hers in a needing manner, Jack still watching in disbelief as she returned the kiss, smiling when Rhys let out a very subtle groan against her lips. He missed this: the love behind her kisses, the need for him as much as he needed her, and the softness of those lips of hers. He soon broke away, his cheeks flushed a light pink, matching hers, smiling down at her.

"I missed you so much," He whispered to her, slowly moving away from her as Jack approached her cautiously. He still was unsure about everything, and she could feel it. Rhys had come to terms with how their relationship would be and spent many nights picturing her and Jack being together to help him get over the stinging jealousy, but it always came down to the one thing she told him: She loved him, and that wasn't going to change. And after sharing a kiss two years later, he could feel his feelings had only gotten stronger for her, and her love for him only grew. He could feel that the second she looked at him. That feeling of relief, knowing he waited for her.

"Jack," She whispered, looking up at him, his body tensing, watching as her hands moved up to cup his cheeks, her touch gentle, carefully popping the mask off of his face, guilt flashing across her face as she saw the same mark across his face that had been her failsafe before. He could feel her guilt, a new feeling washing over him. He could feel what she felt when she looked at him, an odd feeling to him. Cautiously, she ran her finger gently over the bottom of his marking, her grey eyes staring into his heterochromatic ones, the same grey eyes that he found irresistible. Truly, one of a kind, just like him.

Reaching out, he carefully cupped her chin with his right hand, his thumb running along that soft, plump, bottom lip of hers. He wanted to kiss her the way Rhys had, and even shifted his gaze to him before shifting it back onto her, seeing her hesitantly nod. Rhys turned their back to them as the Skag that had taken to him brought him a stick, dropping it behind him and barking at him, its front end crouched down, and with his back turned, Jack slid his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him in a tight embrace, his lips crashing against hers, full of want and need. She couldn't stop herself, a gasp coming from her, feeling all of his emotions he had locked away come crashing down on her. She gripped his left arm lightly, returning his aggressive kiss with a gentle one of her own, his lips pulling away from her soon after, his eyes gazing at her, still in disbelief that she was here. Though she did look weak, it was still her, here, in the flesh.

Rhys cleared his throat and Jack reluctantly released her, taking his mask from her right hand, putting it back on with ease, a soft hiss coming from it as it conformed to his face once again. He still hadn't said anything and didn't even know where to begin. "Addy," Rhys started, cupping her cheek again. "I have to go back to Promethea. Do you want to stay with Jack or do you want to come with me?" He asked, staring down at her. Truthfully, he wanted her to come with him, but he knew he had spent more time with her than Jack, and, she didn't really have a chance to explain the marking to Jack like he had the luxury of knowing, and for him to try and explain it only confused them both farther.

She stayed quiet, looking at Rhys before looking at Jack. She wanted to go with Rhys, truthfully, but something was nagging her to go with Jack. Maybe it was the overwhelming emotions she felt from him, or maybe, it was because she could feel Rhys's nervousness. "I want to go with you," She started, Jack visibly deflating already. He had a feeling it was going to be Rhys again, and why wouldn't it be? From what he said, he was her first love. "But," She continued, looking up at Rhys with a smile. "We can always reconnect tomorrow, once you figure out where you're going to live on Promethea," She said, grinning at him as he flared a bright crimson. He had forgotten all about her being able to see things. She stood on her tiptoes, pulling him down by his red tie so she could whisper in his ear, "We can't rightly have people walking in on us, now can we, Baby?" His body shuddered, he missed hearing her call him that more than he had realized.

He cleared his throat, his face flaring even more as he chuckled, leaning back, Jack staring at them with an arched brow. "Whatever she just told you was either really friggin' sexy, or really friggin' embarrassing, Kiddo," Jack finally said, only making Rhys's embarrassment grow, Adelia's face flaring a bright crimson, matching him as she bit her bottom lip, giving Rhys a playful wink. 

"That's for me to know," Rhys said, smirking at Adelia, easily giving it away that it was something sexy. "I'll try to stop by tomorrow," He continued, changing the subject, his hands gripping her waist lightly. He wanted to spend the night with her, but he had to finalize the paperwork for the new models of the new cybernetic arms. The one he and Jack had worked on worked so well for him, he decided to mass-produce them, making them affordable for those affected by Jack's carnage years before. She smiled up at him, those pearly whites stealing his breath as he gazed down at her. 

"I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, then, Rhysie," She said, the smile never leaving her lips. It wasn't a lie. She was looking forward to catching up on what she missed over the two years she was gone. But tonight? Tonight, she wanted to rest. She was still weak. She had to teach Jack about the markings just as she had done for Rhys, too, since it was apparent he didn't have much knowledge about them, and judging from how quiet he was being - a _very_ unusual thing for Jack -, he was still having inner turmoil about things. She closed her eyes when he brought his lips to hers, returning his sweet, loving kiss with one of her own, her hands gripping his shoulders softly. She giggled, breaking their kiss, feeling his very apparent erection pressing against her stomach. She could've commented on it and embarrassed him, but she wasn't going to. He was embarrassed enough. "I love you, Baby," She whispered to him, moving her left hand to cup his cheek, her thumb running along his cheekbone.

"I love you, Baby," He repeated back to her in the same whisper, smiling at her, despite his erection. It felt so good to hear and say that to her again. For a while, he had said it out of habit, holding a pillow in place of her while he slept. That, of course, led to a lot of mocking from some of the guards he had hired when they'd walk in on him cuddling a pillow, but it wasn't their business. He had broken out of the habit of doing it, but he knew tonight, he'd be doing it again. If he even slept; he'd be up most of the night designing blueprints for a house. Reluctantly, he pulled his arms from her waist, his hands cupping her cheeks once again, the coldness of the metal making her shiver slightly, a smile coming to his face. It really was her. Just like before. "I'll see you two tomorrow, then," Rhys said, giving Adelia another quick peck on the lips before he stepped away, both Jack and her watching as a few Rakks gripped his clothes, pulling him through the hole.

"I see you two have trained them well," She said, looking at Jack.

"There's not exactly another way down the cliff, Cupcake," He teased, his eyes watching her roll her eyes, fighting back a smile. "Let's get off this friggin' cold-ass planet, Kitten," He continued soon after, hesitantly holding a hand out to her. He still wasn't sure how to handle the emotions he felt, but he'd learn in time. He was _the_ Handsome Jack, after all. She could sense his confusion, but she still placed her hand in his without hesitation, her Rakk coming down to squawk at her, the other one who had led Jack and Rhys to Sanctuary two years ago joining on the other side, both of them lifting her up with ease. Considering she lost quite a bit of weight, she didn't weigh much and was tossed onto the snow, where she stumbled, falling to her knees soon after. She was still quite weak, and the icy ground didn't help at all.

Jack landed next to her, touching the hidden fast travel station with his foot, turning to help her up with a cocky smirk. "Don't you dare say it," She said, his smirk only growing in size.

"Say what? That you looked damned good on your knees?" He asked, chuckling when she smacked his arm softly, shooting him a glare. Punching in a few codes on his watch, they quickly dematerialized, rematerializing in front of Jack's house.

_**On Helios...** _

Despite her protests, Jack carried her into the house. She had immediately showered and was now sitting in the kitchen, wearing a new Hyperion shirt he had given her - mostly because Rhys took all of her usual sleeping shirts with him when he left for Promethea, which was understandable -, as well as her old boyshorts, watching him stir the assorted vegetables around in his pan. It smelled so good, and her stomach growled in agreeance. Jack had showered not long after her, but it didn't take him nearly as long as it had taken her, and, since he was home, he had taken off his mask, letting her look fully at his face. Her body was sore from being in stasis for two years, not to mention that cold snow on her muscles didn't help any. She had been full of dirt and blood from being tossed around on that filthy floor in Liar's Berg and happily discarded the dress he had bought her two years ago, which he didn't seem to care much. The dress reminded him of the night he failed to protect her, and it pissed him off all over again. The only thing that was still bothering him was how slim she looked. Before, she had put on weight and filled out her curves better than she does now, but he could easily get her back on her usual eating pattern again. Even though she had lost weight, she still looked good.

"Did you really have to beat my high score on all my games?" She asked, playing on one of the older games, collecting the dots.

"Sure did, Pumpkin," He called back, grinning at her groan, hearing the 'game over' noise. "It was so fun to ruin all your scores."

"You're such a dick," She responded, setting the ECHO device down on the bar, watching as he fixed their plates of stir-fried vegetables, her eyes watching his toned back move, guilt washing over her again, seeing all the marks on his back. Unlike Rhys's who could easily (and, he probably did) cover his markings with tattoos, Jack's looked like he had been burned with fire. His entire back was covered in the blue markings, a few, tiny stray marks extending to his shoulders, the majority of them resting in the middle of his back, running up and down his spine, growing thinner as it expanded out.

"Ah-ah, language," He chastised, smirking down at her, taking his usual seat across from her. "If you were actually good at those games, maybe it would've been a challenge to beat your scores," He further teased, seeing her shoot him a glare.

"I guess you just missed me so much you just _had_ to play my games," She taunted back, smiling when he chuckled, taking a bite of his vegetables. She poked at them with the fork for a couple of seconds, seeing him arch a brow at her before she stabbed the vegetables, looking at him as she took a bite, seeing him grin at her. "What?" She asked, swallowing her bite.

"Nothin', Kitten," He said, taking another bite of his food. He wanted to say it was nice to have someone eating with him again, that he had been alone since she went into slumber, and most of all, that he _missed_ her, but he couldn't; his pride wouldn't let him. They sat in silence, both of them quietly eating. They both had a lot to say to each other, but right now, her attention was on eating - she was starving. To her, it was just yesterday since she had tasted the food, but in reality, it had been much longer, and she wouldn't deny that he was a good cook - he was. He stared at her empty plate with a raised brow. Usually, it was a fight to get her to finish eating an entire plate, but she happily ate it all this time.  
"I'll do the dishes since you cooked," She said, standing up, taking his fork and plate from him, his bi-colored eyes watching her, undoubtedly checking out her ass while she stood up at the sink, quietly washing the few dishes there. He stood up, walking behind her, his left hand gripping her shoulder, chuckling when she tensed. 

"Let me dry them, Cupcake," He smirked down at her when she peeked up at him, watching as he stretched over her, pulling a drying towel down from the cabinet above her. He, of course, didn't change where anything went. He had his kitchen organized long before she was in the picture and he planned to keep it that way. She grinned, rolling her eyes at the fact that he purposely did that to fluster her, continuing on the dishes, handing them over to him as she finished them. 

Once they had finished, she shook her hands a dry, looking at him for the towel, seeing him staring down at her with a smirk. "What?" She asked, reaching for the drying towel, only to watch him move it out of her reach. "Seriously?"

"It wouldn't be fun if I didn't give you shit for leavin' me, now would it, Pumpkin?" He asked, seeing the guilt flash over her face, a slight feeling of regret creeping up his back, but he shoved it down. He was going to make her pay for leaving him without a goodbye. He dropped the towel into her hands, watching as she quietly dried her hands, setting it down, neatly folded, behind her, but before she could move, he stepped in front of her, pinning her against the counter, his hands resting on both sides of her, preventing her from escaping.

_**AN: Smut.** _

"Jack," She warned, looking up at him with those damned grey eyes of hers - the same ones he had missed so much. "I didn't leave you intentionally, I didn't know what else to do," She murmured, looking away from him. His grin faltered, feeling the guilt climbing up his spine. That was going to take a while to get used to, but right now, he had other thoughts on his mind. Two years without sex had left Jack a very horny man.

Moving his hand to grip her chin, he forced her to look up at him, his heterochromatic gaze burning into hers. "Then, you can start making it up to me. Tonight," He spoke seductively, his voice smooth as he laid his condition out to her, her face flushing a bright crimson, those eyes of hers slowly blinking as she processed what he said. "How about it, Kitten?" He continued, lowering his face closer to hers, stopping just shy of his lips pressing hers, his eyes burning into her, begging for her to give him permission.

She stayed quiet. She did miss Jack, but did she really want him to be the first one? Rhys had missed her, too, and she missed Rhys - even now, she missed him. But Jack was now marked for her. She had to give him attention the same way she gave it to Rhys or it wouldn't be fair. Plus... she did promise to make it up to him before when she was sick and dealing with the aftermath of her ovulation cycle. "Okay," She finally whispered out, her arms slowly wrapping around his neck once he smirked, his lips crashing onto hers, full of hunger, lust, and need. She returned his kiss with a soft one of her own, a quiet moan coming from her when his hands slid under her shirt, grasping at her sides roughly. His hands were even more calloused than they had been before, but she didn't mind it.

Breaking their kiss reluctantly, she stared up at him with a mildly confused expression, a squeal coming from her as he chuckled, picking her up by her thighs. She tightened her grip around his neck, her lips pressing gently against his jawline, earning her a few, quiet groans from him with each kiss. He was more sensitive to her touch now, and both of them enjoyed every minute of it, her attack on his jaw only growing his need for her as he carried her to his bedroom. She could hear his breathing growing deeper with each breath, his need for her creeping up her spine, making her shudder in excitement as she bit down on his neck, giving it a harsh suckle, leaving a very faint bruise against his tanned skin, a grin growing across his lips at her eagerness. 

Closing the bedroom door behind him with his foot, he carried her over to the bed, intending on tossing her down, but when her lips met with his, he let out an audible moan against her lips. He missed her so very much, and though his pride wouldn't let him vocally admit it, he knew he could show her, and he fully intended to. He returned her needing kiss with one of his own, a chill running up his spine at the sound of her faint moan, feeling her hands tangle in his hair. Hesitantly, he broke the kiss, setting her down on the bed, his hands not missing a beat as they gripped the bottom of her shirt, pulling it over her head, which she happily complied to, her cheeks flushing a bright red as she stared up at him with slightly parted lips, practically begging for him to kiss her again, which he caved in and fulfilled that wish. His lips captured hers in a hungry kiss, both of them moving to lie back on the bed, him on top of her, hips between her legs, her hands, tangled in his hair, thighs twitching against his sides, feeling his erected girth pressing against her delicate flower, neither one breaking their heated kiss. 

She trembled under his touch as his hands roamed along her shirtless torso, stopping when they reached her soft breasts, his fingers masterly massaging the soft tissues. He knew how much she enjoyed that, and the faint moan coming from her only further verified it. "God, Kitten, those moans," He whispered to her, breaking their kiss, her face flushed as she met his bi-colored gaze with her grey one. She smiled shyly from his passive compliment, slowly untangling her fingers from his hair, her hands trailing over his shoulders, her fingers dancing along his skin, sending a shiver down his spine from how gentle she was - he'd be lying if he said he didn't miss her soft touch, he had longed to feel her touch him again, and now, here she was, underneath him, caressing him in such an intimate manner. 

Moving his head to the left side of her neck, he nibbled on her skin, a sharp inhale coming from her as she tilted her head away from him, her fingers walking down to his arms, gripping his hands against her breasts slightly, to which he gave her breasts a firm squeeze, a quiet moan coming from her again, his smirk on his lips. She was being braver than usual, but he figured he'd allow it - _for now._ Feeling her rosy buds grow hard against the palms of his hands, he gave the skin on her neck a harsh suckle, leaving a considerably sized bruise against her fair skin, his smirk only growing at the sight of his mark, the soft whimper coming from her arousing him further. He was the first one to mark her this time, and it felt _damned_ good to be first with her for once. He bit beneath his mark, giving her another harsh suckle, hearing her whimper again, feeling her nails dig into his hands slightly, despite his groping. He could feel how uncomfortable she was and stopped - unlike Rhys, much to her surprise; she had to stop Rhys more than once -, kissing the second mark he left on her skin, her face flushing brightly at his change of intimacy.

But that didn't last long. His hands groped her breasts roughly once again, her back arching ever so slightly, her breasts pressing against his hands while her hips moved against his erection slightly. She looked succulent beneath him, her reddened face holding those freckles of hers, those grey eyes shut while she bit her rosy, plump lower lip, and the very faint moan coming from her. He wanted to hear more of them - no, he _needed_ to hear more of them. Moving his hands from her breasts, he kept her gaze on her face, watching as she opened those eyes he loved, staring up at him with slightly parted lips, her hands resting on her breasts, covering them in embarrassment. The way he looked down at her oddly made her feel self-conscious, but he was having none of that.

"Who said you could hide from me, Kitten?" He spoke to her lowly, watching as she reluctantly obeyed his silent orders, moving her hands above her head, just the way he liked it. He hummed in satisfaction, taking in the sight of her curvy body - despite having lost weight, she still retained that curvaceous body of hers, those busty breasts perky holding the rosy buds he loved to taunt, the freckles adorning her entire body -, his rough hands moving down her sides slowly as he stood back up fully, gripping her boyshorts. "Lift your hips," He demanded, smirking when she obliged, lifting her hips up for him. He pulled them off with ease, dropping them to the floor next to him, his tongue running over the tip of his sharp canines, staring down at her nude body. With him placed slightly between her thighs, she couldn't close them fully, giving him a full view of her. Her face flushed a bright crimson at his hungry stare; even after two years, he still looked like he was ready to devour her at a moment's notice. He slid his right hand up to her mouth, pressing his index and middle fingers against her lips. "Suck them," He demanded once again, his smirk growing when she opened her mouth. She blushed furiously when he shoved his fingers into her mouth, her left hand moving to grip his right one, his brow arching at her movements, but he didn't object once she started to suck on his fingers, her tongue working around both of them, despite him moving his finger in and out of her mouth carefully, ensuring every inch of them were properly lubricated. 

Once he was satisfied, he slowly pulled his fingers out of her mouth, a string of saliva dripping from her lips to his fingers, only furthering her lewd expression as she stared up at him, releasing his hand to move hers back above her head again. "Such a good girl tonight, Kitten," He purred to her, a smile coming to her lips at his praise, her body trembling when he moved his hand between her delicate flower's lips, slowly rubbing along her slit with his wet fingers, a sharp inhale coming from her when she closed her eyes, feeling his index finger press against her little button, rubbing it in a sensual, circular movement. She had noticed he tended to stick to 'Kitten' when they were being intimate, and honestly, she didn't mind it, it was better than 'Cupcake'. He moved his finger from her button, pressing it against her entrance, a sudden moan coming from her as he pressed against it, smirking down at her squirming against his hands, begging for him to penetrate her. "I don't think I gave you permission to move," He said lowly, hearing her huff before she stilled her hips, staring up at him with a lustful, and pouty, look. He was being a bit mean to her this time around, but it was so sexy to see her stare at him with so much want - to feel how bad she wanted him -, that he couldn't resist it. Awarding her obedience, he slowly pushed into her entrance, closing his eyes when she moaned out a breathless moan, her muscles clenching around his finger already. She also had closed her eyes, biting her bottom lip as her muscles pulsated around him. She was close to her ovulation cycle, she could feel it, but that didn't matter right now. What mattered was his finger slowly moving in and out of her, stretching her tight muscles.

She opened her eyes, hazily staring up at him, watching him watch her, a grin on his face as the noise of her very wet entrance echoing in the room, furthering her embarrassment, but it aroused him even further to know how turned on she was for him. After her muscles had relaxed around his fingers, he carefully pressed his second finger against her entrance, seeing her arch her back ever so slightly, trying her best to remain still as she panted, already nearing her orgasm. "H-hah, please," She finally breathed out between her moans. 

"Please, what?" He asked her, stilling his finger to prevent her climax, much to her dismay.

"Please, may I cum, Daddy?" She whispered out, her hips twitching slightly.

"No," He whispered to her, lowering his face close to hers, seeing the absolute distress on her face as she stared up at him. "Not yet," He continued, pulling his fingers from her, standing up fully again, a shuddering sigh coming from her as she covered her face, visibly frustrated. He enjoyed seeing her so flustered and frustrated for her, but he didn't want her to cum around his fingers. No, she needed to climax against _him._ He quietly pushed his pants down, lazily wanking himself off for a brief moment, using the juices from his fingers to lubricate herself, his left hand moving to open her thighs. Climbing onto the bed with her this time, he let his knees rest between her legs, rubbing his girth along her slit, seeing her body tremble, fighting back her orgasm. Pressing his tip against her entrance, he slowly entering her, a low groan coming from him as she shuddered under him, a sharp moan coming from her, her muscles squeezing him tightly. She instinctively moved her hands to his arms, gripping them lightly when he stretched her, but he didn't correct her - not this time. 

"P-please," She begged out again, hearing him chuckle by her ear, his hips pulling his length out a bit, before slamming it roughly back inside of her, groaning when her nails dug into his skin, her muscles tightening around him, begging for release. She slid her hands into his hair, his heterochromatic eyes staring down at her as he repeated it, only this time, he was more aggressive. Her back arched, a shuddering moan coming from her as she nearly lost it, almost climaxing, but she couldn't - not until he gave her permission. Gradually, he began to pump his hips against hers in a steady, slow, but rough manner, her body shaking beneath him as she struggled to keep herself grounded, moans coming from her as his lips collided with hers, both of them kissing each other hungrily. 

Seeing as he didn't correct her for touching him, she cautiously wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper inside of her, both of them breaking their kiss to let out low moans. "You're gettin' ballsy, Kitten," He whispered to her, biting back his own moans while he slammed his girth inside of her, watching her tremble beneath him, her muscles pulsating around him, throbbing for release with each movement he made, his tip pressing against her innermost wall, each moan from her louder than the last. He saw the tears forming in her eyes as she managed to hold herself together - she wanted to release herself to the pleasure, but he wouldn't let her -, he decided to let her cum, his face lowering to her ear, his voice smooth as he spoke, "Cum for me, Adelia." Pulling away from her ear, he increased his speed, smirking at the sheer look of pleasure overtaking her face as she lost control, her muscles tightening around him while she clung to him, her hands having moved from his hair to his back in a matter of seconds, her legs gripping him tightly, a loud moan of his name coming from her as she tilted her head back, climaxing around his length.

He could feel her hands on his marks and now understood what Rhys meant by her touch being like a drug when she touched the markings - it was warm, welcoming, but most of all, it was _loving;_ he could feel everything she was feeling at that exact moment, and his skin felt like it was on fire every spot she grazed against his marks, his lips crashing with hers as the sensation alone drove him over his edge, his girth ejaculating inside of her, a moan coming from him as he slowed his thrusts, pumping them through his climax. To her, feeling his marks drove her to the edge all over again, her orgasm only intensifying. She shuddered beneath him, gradually relaxing her grip against him, the feeling of loving warmth engulfing her, even as she moved her hands off of his marks, just as she felt with Rhys. The only difference? Jack's was more aggressive. Rhys's was more gentle when she had taken from him, but Jack's held more of an edge, but nothing to separate the two of them. For all she knew, Rhys held the same edge now. Panting, she opened her eyes, smiling while he rested his head against the nook of her neck, his breath warm against her as he panted with her. She unwrapped her legs from his waist, her hands slowly trailing down his arms, allowing her fingers to dance along his skin, before she moved her hands away from him completely. He slowly slid himself out of her, falling over next to her, rubbing his face slowly. He understood why Rhys always looked so tired at first now. He was exhausted. In the heat of the moment, he didn't feel exhausted, but after she finished leeching from him, the exhaustion really hit him.

She took a shaky breath, catching her breath as she slowly sat up, looking over at him, watching as he nearly dozed off where he lay. "Did I take too much?" She asked softly, reaching out to cup his hand with hers.

"I don't know, Pumpkin," He responded, moving his hands off of his face. She smiled down at him, moving her hand from his to his cheek, running her thumb along his cheekbone slowly. He was exhausted, but to see her smile at him like that made his heart pound in his chest, strangely enough. He closed his eyes when a light purple light came from her hand for a brief moment, his hand reaching out to grab her wrist, the light dispersing soon after. "You shouldn't be doing that," He said, looking up at her.

"I didn't do much," She responded, smiling down at him. She wasn't going to overdo it with him, but she could at least give him a small bit of his energy back. "I just gave you a small bit back. It won't affect me that much," She reassured him, his eyes staring up at her with a straight face. She wasn't out of the Vault for a full day and she was already using her powers. "I promise, I'm fine, Jack," She continued, feeling his doubt creep up her spine before leaning down to give him a soft peck on the lips, which he gladly returned. She stood up, which made him sit up, looking at her.

"Whatcha doin' there, Cupcake?" He asked, gripping her wrist.

"I'm going clean up," She answered, looking back at him. 

He grinned at her, pulling her back onto the bed, chuckling when she stumbled against him. "No, I'll get it," He said, seeing her roll her eyes as he sat her down on the bed, before he stood up, walking to the bathroom.

_**AN: Smut over** _

* * *

Jack stroked her head, chuckling when she squeezed his sides lightly in her sleep. He still had to tend to matters with Hyperion, but she had soon fallen asleep against him after they briefly talked about his markings. He understood a bit, but not that well, but he couldn't blame her, she had fallen asleep explaining things, her exhausting winning. He knew that he would be able to feel every emotion she felt, no matter how little or big it was, he'd be able to tell if she was in danger, and he'd be able to feel if Rhys was in immediate danger or felt an emotion very strongly that could jeopardize his health - such as a sense of deep sadness, feeling of hopelessness, fear, etc -, and that was about all she went into details about until she fell asleep against his chest. Her breathing was soft and shallow, his gaze occasionally shifting down to look at her, grinning at how peaceful she looked against him. Considering this had been the first time they were intimate since her ovulation cycle, he was satisfied, even if he did lose himself quicker than he would've liked. He didn't expect her hands touching his marks to fill him with so much pleasure at once, but she didn't seem to mind. She felt satisfied, as far as he could tell. 

Honestly, he could hardly believe she was back. He was still conflicted about how he felt. The last two years had gone by in practically a blur, the war with Maliwan still mildly raging here and there, since the news hadn't spread everywhere yet, but, it was calming down. He knew Senior knew where Junior was, he just wouldn't say anything, but Jack had no evidence against those claims, and walking into Maliwan's base would be a deathwish. He had nearly wiped their entire army out in the last two years and they were on their last leg; Maliwan was nothing compared to the vast empire he had built with Hyperion, and they were well aware of that now, but waltzing into their base would still mean certain death for him. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were up to something. He just didn't know what.

She groaned quietly against him, moving her hand from around him to sleepily rub her eyes, a quiet chuckle coming from him when she gazed up at him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep," She mumbled tiredly, moving to sit up, stopping only when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her back down.

"Go back to sleep, Pumpkin. We can finish talking tomorrow, after you rest," He said, seeing her give him a warm, but sleepy, smile, her arm wrapping back around him while her head rest against his toned, hairy chest. Closing her eyes, she relaxed against him quickly once again, drifting back off to sleep. He smirked down at her, carefully running his hand through her hair, his eyes gazing down her body, stopping at her bare ass. She had put her shirt back on but didn't bother with her boyshorts, leaving her lower-half exposed, but that was mostly his fault - he wanted to argue with her, but she just bested him and told him she ''wouldn't bother putting any on then''. Rubbing his chin, he grinned when his thumb caressed against the mark she left on him. She was ballsy when it came to teasing him, but she always flipped a switch and became so submissive to him, it was weirdly amusing to him.

Answering the last of his emails, he set his ECHO watch down on the nightstand, shaking her shoulder lightly. She groaned against him, slowly opening an eye to look up at him. "Did I do something?" She murmured, still half asleep against him.

"No, Kitten. I just need you to move so I can lay down," He answered, smirking at her huffing, slowly unwrapping herself from him, moving under the blankets more, facing toward him, watching him as he slid down, turning to face her, his bi-colored gaze meeting her sleepy grey one. "Something on your mind, Pumpkin?"

"No," She hesitantly answered, looking away from him. He arched a brow, staring at her. She fidgeted under his stare, slowly shifting her gaze back to his. "Do I have to turn over?" She mumbled sheepishly, her cheeks dusting a bright pink at her question.

He grinned at her innocent question, scooting himself closer to her, embracing her in his arms. "No," He whispered to her, squeezing her tightly. He had missed her, and though he couldn't say it, she could feel how relaxed her was that she was back. She smiled, slowly wrapping her arms around him, her hands lightly resting against his back while she curled up into his arms, resting comfortably against him. "Goodnight, Pumpkin."

"Goodnight, Jack," She whispered to him, quickly drifting off again. He chuckled at her falling asleep so easily not once, not twice, but three times, his own eyes shutting, slowly drifting off.


	22. Chapter 22

_**The next morning... (5:45 AM)**_

Adelia was standing up in the kitchen, getting everything ready to cook them breakfast, freshly showered and wearing the old Hyperion shirt Jack had given her, her black, lacey panties hugging her ass as she moved. When Rhys moved out, he took most of her stuff, for whatever reason, so she had to wear what was left. She was exhausted from the night before - Jack had repeated nightmares where he called out to Angel all night, and not only that kept her awake, but the feeling of regret that washed over him every time he started to have one. She woke him up a few times, but he didn't seem to realize who she was, he'd just let out a shaky breath, hold her tightly, and drift back off to sleep. He held her in a death grip most of the night, but she didn't mind. She grieved in her own time, and clearly, Jack still wasn't through grieving, either. She wasn't going to be the one to tell him to 'just get over it' or invalidate his feelings about it, and she certainly wouldn't bring it up to him - not unless he wanted to talk about it.

As she took the pan out to cook dinner for them, she heard him running down the hall, stopping while he panted at the archway, her head turning to look at a visibly relieved Jack. "Well, that was the most exciting good morning I've ever seen," She said, smiling at him, setting the pan down on the stove.

He walked over, wrapping his arms around her tightly from behind, her eyes widening at his sudden shift in affection. "I thought I was dreaming," He whispered against her ear, his grip tightening around her. He seemed visibly shaken, a very unusual thing for him - she never seen him this shook up or this relieved, he had never let his guard down like this. And she wouldn't be wrong, he had never shown his affection for others like this. Not since Moxxi, but to know she came back to him, it made him... Happy. Weirdly happy. Something he hadn't been in a long time. "I thought you weren't here."

She shifted in his arms, turning to face him with a curious gaze, her brow arching as she stared up at his softened face. The realization that he was vulnerable now hit her like a freight train, guilt creeping up her spine for having left. It may have been a blink of an eye for her, but for him and Rhys, it had been two painful years since they had seen her, and just days before she left, she was distant toward them, not because she wanted to, but because she wasn't sure how to process her feelings for them. "I'm here now," She whispered to him, breaking herself out of her thoughts, her hands softly cupping his face as she smiled up at him, her thumbs caressing against his skin.

He didn't say anything, but rather just stared down at her, his body relaxing against her gentle touch. She really was here, in his arms. And he had taken her last night. Of her own free will, not by a hazy, lustful mind. She slept with him all night, in his arms. And now, she was making them breakfast. She was _literally_ here. He couldn't get over it, his lips crashing against hers in such a needing, desperate manner, completely different from his lustful, hungry kisses. She kissed him back gently, her hands slowly moving around his neck, her body shuddering when his hands lightly grazed along her sides, pulling her closer to him. He longed to feel her against him again, to prove she was really here as if their kiss weren't enough. Reluctantly, she broke their kiss, seeing his heterochromatic eyes stare down at her, his lips slightly parted. Her heart hurt, knowing that he had dealt with his grieve alone all these years.

"You're really here," He whispered to her, his hands moving to her face, cupping her cheeks. He was being oddly gentle - she expected that from Rhys, but from Jack? It'd be an understatement to say she was shocked.

"Jack?" She asked softly, arching a brow at him. She was confused by his shift in personality and could really see his humanity in him for once - she could before, but it was very apparent now; the vulnerability he was showing to her, that lost look in his eyes, the relief written on his face. Her leaving really bothered him, and she could see that. "Are you alright?" She asked, keeping her soft tone, cupping his hands with hers.

"I just can't believe you're back," He mumbled out, his calloused fingers running along her soft cheeks. His mind was still in shock of seeing her, and after the string of nightmares he just had, he couldn't shake that state of shock. "I thought you were betraying me like everyone else."

Her face twisted in pain, her hands moving from his to cup his cheeks in return, her soft thumbs running against his cheeks. She knew full well what he meant by that, having seen it all when she was in stasis - Moxxi, Lilith, Roland, even his daughter. "I would never," She whispered to him, seeing him relax against her touch. "I told you, I'll take care of you," She continued, smiling up at him. "Even though you're doing more of that for me than I am," She murmured, her cheeks flushing, but she didn't break her gaze from his. He chuckled at her words, bringing his lips to hers again, this time though, it was sweet. She returned his kiss with no hesitation, and though it was a quick kiss, it put his mind to ease, his arms wrapping around her soon after he broke their kiss, hugging her tightly to him. "I'm sorry I left you," She whispered into his ear, feeling his grip on her tighten, her hands sliding under his, hugging him back just as tightly. "I didn't have a choice."

"I know, Pumpkin. I know," He responded, his voice sounding completely heart-wrenching, his grip loosening on her just slightly.

"Jack, I'm here now," She repeated, resting her head lightly against his, feeling him take a shaky breath. He was breaking down in her arms. He slowly sunk to his knees, her moving with him, holding him tightly against her as he gripped her tightly again, keeping his head buried against the nook of her neck, a small, choked sob coming from him - something he hadn't done since he lost Angel. "Shhh, it's okay," She whispered to him, rubbing his back slowly with her right hand. He was losing his hardass act on her; the loss of his first wife, his daughter, all the betrayals between then and now, and the fact that she left him after he got close to her all came crashing down on him at once. He gripped the back of her shirt, holding her desperately while she rubbed his back, singing a soft song he couldn't understand to him. Her voice was soft and calming, despite him not know what she was saying, and there, in her arms, he grieved, for the first time in years.

After quite a few minutes, he took a shaky breath, squeezing her tightly again. He couldn't believe he did this. He was Handsome Goddamn Jack, and he just cried his eyes out on her, someone who left him for two friggin' years. But... the realization hit him. He loved her. Even through those two years, he held no interest in anyone, not even girls he paid for. He just didn't have any desire to pursue anything with them, not even sex. Those two years, all he could think of was... Her. Her smile and laugh, those damned eyes of hers that looked up at him so innocently, the soft touch she held whenever she touched him, and even now, she was holding him gently, rubbing his back and even had sung soft songs to him while he cried. But the way she'd get aggressive - the way she snapped on his old secretary, the way she threatened Lilith and held no remorse for her actions, and by God, that fiery attitude of hers that drew him to her... It was like she was two vastly different people. She was a complete wild card. And he loved her. 

"All better?" She asked in a whisper, moving her left hand up to carefully run through the back of his hair, moving her hands away from him when he stood up, not making eye contact with her. She felt a pang of hurt in her chest, but she didn't say anything as she slowly stood up, watching him walk back off to the bedroom. She chewed on her bottom lip lightly, but decided not to go after him - she could feel the inner turmoil going on inside of his head, and it was something that he needed to deal with on his own. Washing her hands in the sink, she went back to cooking them breakfast.

_**AN: Slight abuse** _

Jack, on the other hand, closed the door to his bedroom, confused about so many emotions as he paced back and forth in his room, diving into his thoughts. He was _the Handsome Jack_ , why the fuck was he getting these feelings for someone, much less a Pandorian _Siren_ at that. He clenched his fists, taking a shaky breath. It was alright. These things happened. His first wife was a Jakobs, after all. Angel had been a Siren, and though she killed her mother in front of him, he still loved her; she was his daughter, and her death had shaken him to his core, especially since it was at the hands of the filthy bandits he had a 'truce' with. A truce he was itching to break. The nightmares of him replaying her death had become more and more vivid with each night, and now, he just realized his feelings toward a Siren, one who forced the truce between them. The one who saved his life. Had she not intervened, he would've died that night. That was evident in his memories that had resurfaced. He was conflicted. He wanted revenge for Angel now more than ever, but he also felt his ways returning to how he used to be before he snapped completely. He did lose his temper on his daughter before the end of her life and he regretted it since, but even more now that she had been on his mind more and more. Ever since Adelia said she could be pregnant two and a half years ago, Angel was never far from his mind. Maybe it was because his wife struggled to get pregnant at first, or maybe, he was scared to be a father again. He couldn't protect her and she died from his negligence, or at least, that's how he felt, pushing the betrayal aside.

Hearing a faint knock on his bedroom door, his head snapped up, looking at the door, but he didn't say anything. What could he say? "I made you breakfast," Her voice came from behind the door. She wanted to go in there and hold him again, the feelings he felt were definitely worrying her, but she knew she should overstep. She had feared this would happen when she activated his failsafe, but she hoped it wouldn't. The switch in his mind had always been unstable, and when he lost Angel, it flipped straight into insanity, but she brought him back from that, and now that he was trying to recover, it made it even harder on him. She hesitated in front of his door a few more seconds, hoping he would've opened the door, but when he didn't, she quietly started to walk back to the kitchen, stopping when his door opened. She turned to look at him, her hands pressing against his chest as he backer her up against the wall, pinning her there.

"What are you doing to me, Kitten?" He asked lowly, his lips crashing on hers hungrily. She gasped ever so slightly against his lips, returning his hungry kiss with a gentle one of her own, his hands caressing down her body, grasping her sides roughly, pulling her close to him while he deepened their kiss, determined to steal her breath from her. She slowly slid her hands up his chest, tangling them in his hair while his hands moved down, picking her up by the back of her thighs, a faint moan coming from her when he broke their kiss to kiss the bruises he left on her last night, her breathing heavy as she panted slightly. "Answer me," He whispered against her ear, his voice commanding, causing her to shiver against him.

"I don't know what you mean," She whispered back, wincing when he grasped the back of her thighs a little too roughly. "That hurts," She said, wiggling against his grip, seeing his eyes stay on her, not flinching. He was hurting her on purpose.

"I said, answer me, Pumpkin," He spoke lowly, glaring down at her as she fidgeted against his grip, visibly uncomfortable. 

"I really don't know what you mean," She responded, shoving against him. "That _really_ hurts, Jack," She said, staring down at him as he gripped her thighs harder, most definitely leaving bruises on her skin. She pushed against him a bit harder, trying to get her legs out of his grip. She actually felt scared right now. He was intentionally hurting her and didn't seem to care about her complaints about the pain, and each movement made him grip her harder. She really didn't know what he was talking about.

"I'm pretty friggin' sure you're well aware what I mean," He continued, his grip tightening more, his nails shoving through her skin, drawing a small bit of blood as her skin ripped just slightly. A look of fear flashed across her face as she whimpered out, shoving against him harder.

"Jack, _stop_ ," She said seriously, fighting back the tears. She normally didn't mind his abuse in intimacy, but this wasn't intimate. This was a threat. And that scared her. Feeling his hands grip her even harder, she whimpered louder, shoving against his chest. "Fuckin' Christ - Bandits!" She exclaimed their agreed safeword. He stilled, his grip loosening against her immediately as he realized what he was doing, a bit of her blood running over his fingertips. He slowly lowered her back to the ground as she sniffled, tears rolling down her cheeks as she looked away from him.

Hesitantly, he pulled his hands away from her thighs, seeing her blood running down his fingers as guilt washed over him. He lost his temper on her, the one person who trusted in him. "Kitten-"  
 _"Don't,_ " She spoke harshly, shoving away from him, the blood running down the back of her legs as she marched into the bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind her, slowly sinking to the floor as she bit her lip roughly, her head resting against her knees. She only had one thought at that moment: She wanted to be with Rhys. Jack scared her and hurt her when she had no idea what he meant. She knew he might lash out and hurt her one day, but she never expected this. Shakily, she gripped the counter, pulling herself up, her legs throbbing, causing her to wince. She'd heal, but it'd take a few days - she still wasn't at her full strength. Jack's body wasn't used to her taking energy like Rhys's was. Grabbing a washcloth, she poured rubbing alcohol on it, turning so she could see the back of her thighs in the mirror, hissing when she dabbed, the stinging nearly knocking the breath out of her. He had clawed her deep across the back of her thighs like he was trying to strangle her legs.

Once she had finished cleaning the wounds, she shakily grabbed some gauze and bandages, carefully wrapping her upper thighs. She didn't know what came over him, and she didn't like it. Ripping the bandage, she tucked the end into the rest of them, repeating the process on her other thigh, stiffening when she heard him knock on the door. "Kitten, I'm sorry," His voice rang out, the guilt apparent in his tone. She could feel her regretted it, but she wasn't going to let it go that easily. He can't just hurt her whenever he wanted to and expect an 'I'm sorry' to fix everything. She stayed quiet, continuing to wrap her thigh, ripping the bandage again, before tucking it under the other layers, similar to how she had done her other leg. Setting the roll of bandages back in the first aid kit, she put it below the sink again, opening the door to see a mess in front of her. Jack was sitting on the floor, his head in his hands - now washed. He was going through so many emotions so quickly, he didn't know how to feel - he was furious, upset, happy, and sad all at the same time. 

Hearing the door open, he slowly picked his head up to look at her, seeing the bandages around her thighs, his face twisting into a scowl. He did that to her, someone who, in his eyes, was innocent. "I'm going eat before it gets colder," She said, not even looking at him as she walked toward the kitchen, leaving him on the ground. He had hurt her trust and he could feel and see that. Hesitantly, he stood up, making his way to the kitchen as well, sitting in his usual spot across from her. As usual, she had made him bacon, eggs, and two pieces of toast, while hers had a few pieces of eggs and a piece of toast, something so little it bothered him, but was it really his place to speak up now?

"Is that all you're eating?" He asked, picking up his fork, glancing at her. She said nothing, but instead took a bite of her eggs, not even glancing at him, while she quietly ate away at her eggs. "Pumpkin," He said, reaching out to touch her hand, but frowning when she recoiled away from him, looking at him with slight fear, the same fear that had been on her face the day he realized she healed him more than she needed to, and that pissed him off. He made her have that look. It was his fault, and his alone.

"Don't touch me," She shakily said, her eyes watching him as he reluctantly pulled his hand back toward his side of the bar, watching as she cautiously set her hand back down, her grey eyes watching him as she took another bite of her eggs. "I think it'd be best if I live with Rhys," She finally whispered out, breaking her gaze off of him as he stopped mid-bite, shifting his heterochromatic eyes up to her.

"Rhys doesn't even have a place to live," He finally said, getting over the initial shock of her words. "Where would you even sleep?"  
"We'll figure it out when I get there," She argued back, finishing off her eggs, setting her fork down. "I clearly can't be left alone with you."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" He said, his anger creeping up his spine.

"You literally _pinned me against the wall and hurt me_ with the _intention_ to hurt me. You didn't stop when I told you to stop or when I visibly was uncomfortable. I had to say our fucking safeword, and what if I had forgotten it? Would you have stopped?" She questioned, slamming her hands against the bar. She was furious too. "I don't even know what your question even meant but you acted like I did know."

He stayed quiet, fuming in his anger. She had a point, would he have stopped if she didn't remember the safeword? He always watched her to ensure she never had to use it. "What I meant by my question," He started through a tensed jaw, "Is why do I have all of these feelings again? Fuck's sake, I literally cried in your arms and I haven't done that in years. Ever since you came into the picture, my entire life has been absolutely fucked."

She clenched her fists. That last comment was completely unnecessary. "When I removed the failsafe," She started, biting back her smart remarks. "Your mind started to repair itself, then, when you were injected with my DNA for your marks, it repaired itself even further, and now that I'm back, it's trying to repair completely. I'm pretty certain I told you this before," She finished, pushing her toast away from her, opting to just not eat anymore. She wasn't very hungry after what happened. "I'm sorry if you think your life is fucked now, I didn't intend to stay around you as much as I did. I planned to pop in from time to time to make sure you weren't dying off somewhere, not live with you, or have you marked for me."

He stared down at her toast, listening to her words. He felt the guilt creep up his spine again, both from her and from his own self. She didn't plan this any more than he wanted it to happen. She was innocent. And he harmed her after being vulnerable to her. She picked to stay with him when she could've run off with Rhys. She chose to let him make love to her. And he hurt her. Betrayed her trust, even. Something she hadn't even done to him. He failed her not once, but twice now. Once two years ago, and now this. "Pumpkin, I didn't mean to hurt you," He finally said, looking up at her, seeing her holding her head in her hands, the dark scar on her forehead just barely visible from her hands. He frowned, staring at it - he had never seen it before, actually, he had never seen any scar on her, so to see one on her made him curious. "What happened to your forehead?" He asked, seeing her stiffen.

"It's none of your concern," She said, pulling her hands down, resting them in her lap. But the curiosity still got the better of him.

"I think it is," He pressed, staring at her as he finished his last bite of breakfast. He had missed her cooking, even though it had grown a bit cold because of him.

"Is it, though?" She asked, standing up, taking his plate from him, picking up her own plate before bringing it over to the sink, tossing her toast into the garbage, which only made him frown. She barely ate anything. She stayed quiet, washing the dishes quickly, setting them on the drying rack while she worked on the pan, cleaning it thoroughly. He stood up, slowly walking over to her, seeing her tense when he picked up the drying towel, picking up the dishes she set in the rack, drying them quietly. Nearly an entire year of gaining her trust, and he cracked it all in five minutes. To say he was pissed at himself would be a huge understatement.

_**AN: Abuse over.** _

She was angry with him. Furious. But she knew deep down, what he had done was out of his control. He was lost in his mind, trying to balance his emotions, and she knew that - she could see it on his face -, but that didn't invalidate how she felt any. Feeling him so close to her, she could really feel the guilt and regret radiating off of her, the only other time she had felt is so severe with him had been when Angel died. She wrung the washcloth out, setting it down in the middle of the sink before shaking her hands dry, taking the drying towel from him when he silently offered it to her. 

"I'll let Rhys know to meet us at Helios earlier than we planned," He finally spoke up, pushing off of the counter. He felt defeated - and, to him, it friggin' sucked -, and she could feel it. He truly did regret what he had done, and, even though her feelings were very valid to her, she knew it wasn't fully fair to him - he didn't ask for any of this. He was still confused and conflicted on so many things, and since she was healing him slowly, it was a whole other story - he didn't know how to process things; the way he normally did just didn't work for him anymore. Then, the markings probably didn't help him any. She watched him as he started to make his way to his bedroom, no doubt fetching his ECHO band. After a few seconds, she sighed, rubbing her face again, slinking off to his bedroom. She was acting like a child over something he couldn't control. 

He sat on his bed with his head in his hands, unbelievably pissed that he had done that to her. The way she looked at him with so much fear hurt him. He wasn't the man he was three years ago, at least, not around her and Rhys - he couldn't be, no matter how hard he tried. He knew he needed to tell Rhys to meet them, but he couldn't bring himself to, the flashing reminder of that look of fear on her face, plus, those stray tears running down her cheeks stayed in his mind. He hadn't even heard her follow in behind her, his body tensing when her hands slowly slid around him from behind, her hands lightly gripping his throat. Normally, he'd fight back, but he knew she wouldn't hurt him.

"What you did earlier is inexcusable," She whispered in his ear, goosebumps flooding across his skin from her soft, whimsical voice in his ear, her nails grazing along the skin of his throat, a breathy groan coming from him, feeling her breasts press against his back, the graphic on the shirt itchy against his skin. "But maybe," She continued in her hushed tone, her hands moving from his neck. "I can forgive you if you get on your knees and beg for my forgiveness."

" _Beg_? No, no, Kitten. Handsome Jack doesn't beg for anything," He said, chuckling lowly at her demand, turning himself around to pin her down on his bed, positioning himself between her thighs, smirking down at her reddened face, but nevertheless, she had a smirk across her lips. She truly was an absolute wild card. And he loved it. "But you, on the other hand," He teased, her smirk not faltering, despite her darkening face.

"Well, you're already technically on your knees for me," She taunted to him, his eyes blinking slowly. Technically, she was right. "All you have to say is, 'I'm sorry I hurt you, Adelia'," She continued, keeping her gaze locked on his.

She put him between a rock and a hard place so easily. But... This was better than how she had been minutes earlier. "I'm sorry I'm too irresistible for you to stay mad at, Adelia," He whispered to her, practically hearing her as she rolled her eyes, wiggling beneath him. He lowered his face closer to hers, seeing her smirk falter just for a split second, feeling her heart beating faster as he tightened his grip on her wrists. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Kitten," He whispered to her once again, serious this time, her face flushing a bright crimson. She'd accept that. For now.

"Let go of my hands," She whispered to him, wiggling against his grip. "Please," She added on, seeing him arch a brow down at her, and, although reluctant, he agreed. He felt like he was on thin ice with her right now and didn't want to push her buttons any further than he already did. She reached her hands up, softly cupping his face, her body moving to sit up, forcing him to sit back, his brow arching again at her sudden control on him. He wasn't a fan of it, but he didn't dislike it, either, especially when she had sat in his lap, straddling him, her lips pressing gingerly against the top of the mark on his face, his eyes closing, feeling the warmth of her lips against the cool mark. He had grown used to being alone, just him and his shadow pushing through everything, ever since he strangled Tassiter and the death of his daughter. 

She cupped his cheeks very lightly, kissing down the left side of his scar slowly, being mindful of each kiss. Each kiss made him feel... Happy. The softness she used against his mark made his heart pound in his chest. He had long forgotten how it felt to be truly loved and cared for, but she was teaching him again, even if he thought he wasn't ready. "Kitten..." He murmured, opening her eyes when she finished kissing down his mark, staring at her with a confused expression.

"I caused this," She whispered to him, running her thumb along the mark on his cheek. "This is my fault," He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it when she covered his mouth with her index finger. "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve it twice. You don't understand your emotions and I lashed out on you. Even if you did hurt me," She paused, seeing him tense. "You didn't do it on purpose. I shouldn't have gotten angry."

"Pumpkin, you had every right to get angry," He whispered back to her, sliding his hands up her legs, stopping when he reached her bandages. "Hell, I'm surprised you didn't friggin' punch my lights out," He teased, grinning when she giggled.

"Is that an invitation to do that next time?"

"There won't be a next time," He promised, his lips meeting hers in a needing kiss, which she happily returned. Stopping their kiss, he slid his hands up to her waist, lying her back down again, before he stood up, shutting the bedroom door. Turning back toward her, he made his way back to the bed, lying down next to her. "I don't know about you, but I need more sleep," He teased, smirking when she giggled again.

"I could use a little longer," She answered, slowly putting her back to him, feeling him wrap his arm around her waist, edging under her shirt, while his hips pressed firmly against her ass, giving her a full feel of his flaccid girth. Even when he was soft, he still felt threatening against her. Feeling his hand grip her skin lightly, she snuggled back close to him - the house was cold, but not freezing -, for warmth, letting out a soft, squeaky yawn, hearing him chuckle behind her.

"Rest, Pumpkin," He whispered to her, her eyes slowly shutting as she drifted off fairly quickly, with him not far behind her. Only this time, he didn't dream of Angel, he dreamt of Adelia and the night she saved him, and his first wife.

* * *

_**AN: Smutty themes** _

_**A few hours later... (7:45 AM)** _

During his sleep, Jack had moved his hand up, cupping her breast in his sleep, and now that she was awake, she could feel his erection pressing firmly against her. His hand flexed against her breast, groping her slightly as he shifted behind her, pulling her closer to him, a breathless moan coming from her. Compared to earlier, he was back to his usual ways, and she was glad for that, but she still was cautious about him. She knew he regretted it and wasn't fully in control of his actions, but it did still scare her and didn't change the fact that he hurt her with full intention, without her consent. She knew Rhys was probably freaking out on Promethea from the level of fear she felt earlier, but she couldn't tell him it was okay - she wasn't strong enough to contact him. She'd send him a message through her ECHO when Jack's grip on her lightened up. and she could get away. She closed her eyes again, trying to fall back to sleep, but with his hand pawing at her breast, it was making it increasingly hard - she already was turned on. Waking up to his erection pressing firmly against her ass and his hand on her breast had ensured that much.

He grunted in his sleep, a small smile coming across her lips. Instead of snoring, he just grunted from time to time, but it wasn't a loud or aggressive grunting, it was more like he just woke up for a brief millisecond and fell back to sleep. She felt goosebumps flooding across her skin, holding in her tremble, when his hand slowly moved away from her breast, his calloused hand brushing down her stomach, edging beneath her panties ever so slightly. Her face flared a bright crimson, her hips wiggling slightly, a quiet moan coming from her, feeling his erection pressing firmly against her, her hands gripping his wrist, carefully pulling it up. She half-wondered if he was still asleep or if he was just fucking with her, but the shallow breathing and relaxed heartbeat behind her verified that he was still sleeping. Moving her hands from his wrist, she relaxed against him again, feeling his hand caress her stomach slightly, mumbling something she couldn't understand in his sleep - she figured it had to deal with his first wife since he had rubbed her stomach so sweetly, but honestly, that only made her feel bad. If his wife wouldn't have been killed, he might not have turned into the person he was now. He might've been happy.

It was going to take her a while to get used to this vulnerable Jack, but she'd adjust. Assuming he didn't get violent with her again.

Slowly, his hand slid under her panties again, resting against her skin, causing her to tense again. She just wanted to go back to sleep. She only slept an extra hour, and that wasn't enough for how tired she was. She didn't fight his hand this time, but rather, just closed her eyes again, resting her hand over his. The more she fought him, the more time she was losing on sleep. He didn't move his hand farther for a while, and eventually, she drifted back off to sleep.

After another hour and a half, Jack slowly opened his eyes, feeling her hand on his. He actually slept fairly decently this time, for the first time in the last two years - he had a dream about his first wife, when they lost their first child, and how he felt then, but it wasn't a sad feeling. It felt nice to dream about her again, instead of having nightmares about Angel or seeing her killed in front of him over and over again. Maybe it was wrong of him to think of her while Adelia was here, in his arms, but something told him she wouldn't mind, especially after his dramatic breakdown earlier this morning, before... Well, _that_ happened. 

He slowly pulled his hand out of her panties, feeling her scoot closer to him, a quiet groan coming from his throat as her rear pressed firmly against his throbbing erection. She let out a breathless moan as she got comfortable against him again, his hand resting against her stomach again. He hummed in amusement, carefully moving his hand up, grasping her soft breast in his hand, feeling her rosy bud grow instantly hard against his hand. Even in her sleep, she was so responsive to his touch. But first, he was curious about something. Cautiously, he leaned up, pulling his hand carefully out of her shirt, being mindful not to wake her, his hand moving to her hair, slowly pushing it out of the way, his eyes locking on the large scar on her forehead that receded into her hairline. He stared down at it, his thumb slowly grazing along the mark, his body freezing when she moved beneath him, her grey eyes slowly opening, looking up at him.

"What are you doing?" She asked sleepily, not processing what he was doing.

He ran his thumb over her scar again, figuring now would probably be the only time he'd get an answer from her. Her entire body held freckles, but no scars. As far as he knew, she didn't have any, so now, seeing one on her fair skin alarmed him. "How did you get this?" He asked, shifting his gaze to hers.

She blinked her sleepy eyes, moving her hands up to rub her eyes. "When the humans started the uprising," She started, still half-asleep, not even realizing what she was saying. "The leader of the uprising was someone I shared my powers with. I grew up with her, the only difference was her father was a hybrid while her mother was human. She murdered my father and my kind in front of me," She explained, Jack's heart hurting while she explained sleepily, drifting into light sleep again. He knew the feel of betrayal all too well. He shook her lightly, seeing her open her eyes slightly again, rubbing her eyes again, hearing his soft 'she murdered your father and your kind in front of you', edging her on to continue. "It was fine at first," She continued, "She appreciated the powers, but when I reached my teens and learned how to create things, she got jealous. I made the Destroyer to help protect us from the uprising my mother predicted, not even realizing I was the one who caused it," She paused, closing her eyes again. She was exhausted. "She took control of it, making it lash out, and with her help, we sealed it inside The Great Vault. But when it was all said and done, the Elders scolded me, forcing burning after burning on me so I'd always remember it was my fault. After ten days, I was finally released. My father was furious" She covered her face, rubbing it sleepily. It had been thousands of years, but she could still remember the pain each time it happened. She was awake now, but she already had started explaining, so there was no point in her stopping now. "When I was released, there was a month of silence while she rallied every human and hybrid against us Eridians. The humans and hybrids blamed me for the death of a handful of their loved ones. There weren't mass casualties, just maybe five people had been killed when she made the Destroyer disobey my orders. She turned everyone against me except my father. Even the Eridians turned against me, only to meet their own demise by her hands. I tried to save them, but I couldn't. I was still too weak from the Elder's punishment, and there was twenty on me and my dad," She slowly turned to look up at him, seeing his focused face, he was listening to her and had been nice enough to not interrupt her. "When I fled to the Vault, she had absorbed almost all of the other Siren's powers. There were just six of them left after the war. Her, and her five followers. She called them her sisterhood. The other five split up, spreading their roots out throughout the universe, but she remained, determined to find me and take me down," She smiled sadly, rubbing her face. "My own best friend. Imagine that," She mumbled, feeling Jack hug her tightly against him. "When she found me in the Vault, I was hurt, confused, exhausted, and alone. I could feel all of my kind were gone. I spent many nights creating artifacts and spreading them out across the universe, then creating and empowering the Wraiths to protect them all. I didn't want her to get her hands on the Vault Guardian's powers. But when she found me, I was getting ready to go into stasis. I was too weak to stay where I was, just like I had been two years ago. The only difference is I was stronger then than I was two years ago."

"That still doesn't explain the scar, Pumpkin," He finally spoke up when she paused, watching as she broke her gaze from him. 

"When she found me, we fought a long battle, but I was weak, and I lost. She pulled me up by my hair and had my head pinned against the molten rock, absorbing my powers, but then, she insulted my mother, and I lost it," She paused, fidgeting a bit. She was uncomfortable talking about this. "The rocks had burnt me, but that didn't make the scar stick. When I overpowered her, she pressed into my burnt face, trying to Phaseshift away from me, or even Phaselock me, but she was too weak. I absorbed her power too quickly for her to do anything, but the mark on my head is where her hand was when she tried to fight back with her powers. It embedded the burnt mark on me, and I was too weak to heal it. But now that it has settled, I can't get rid of it even if I wanted to."

Jack stayed quiet, satisfied that she had finally explained it to him, but he was angry - angry that someone had done that to her. He knew how it felt when everyone he loved betrayed him, he could only imagine the hurt when she was betrayed by everyone she helped. "Thank you for telling me, Kitten," He finally said, grinning when she curled into his chest, letting out a quiet yawn.

"'M sleepy," She mumbled, closing her eyes again, drifting off quickly against him. It probably exhausted her to talk about her past like that, but weirdly enough, he did appreciate it. He understood a bit better why she didn't betray him yet - it had happened to her, and that pain was still evident, just based on her face when she explained it to him.

"Get some rest," He whispered to her, resting his head against the top of hers, holding her protectively to him. She was changing him, but that was okay. He'd accept it as it came. She really harbored no ill-intentions to him, and he could see that now. She left herself vulnerable to him multiple times, and even when he was hurting her, she still barely hurt him - the worst thing she had done was push on him. She could've used her powers and killed him if she wanted, but she didn't. Strangely enough, that made him happy to know. He still held a vendetta against the Crimson Bandits, but he'd play along with Adelia for now - it was clear, she didn't like them, either, and based on what she said, it sounded a lot like what Lilith had done to him when she branded him with the artifact.

_**AN: Smutty themes, again.**_

Jack had drifted in and out of sleep for another thirty minutes, and in those thirty minutes, she had turned her back to him but stayed pressed against him, her rear end pressing firmly against his girth and his hand had wandered under her shirt in his sleep again, holding her breast lightly. He chuckled quietly to himself, giving her breast a light squeeze, hearing a quiet moan come from her, her ass pressing more firmly to him. "Oh, that's not fair, Kitten," He purred against her ear, hearing her giggle, turning her head to look at him.

"Says the one who constantly gropes me while I sleep," She whispered to him, grinning at his surprised face.

He smirked, grasping her breast harder, his fingers pressing into the soft tissue, watching her bite her lip, holding in her moan. "I could do more," He threatened, his smirk growing when her body trembled for a moment, her face turning a bright crimson at his words. "Like..." He started, sliding his hand away from her breast, easing it inside of her panties, pushing past her lower lips, daring to fondle her.

"You wouldn't," She said, gripping his wrist with her hand. She was already growing aroused from him touching her so dirtily, but she wouldn't admit to it. He watched her pull his hand up with an arched brow - it was no secret she could surprise him. He was curious about what she intended to do to him this time. He kept his eyes on her as she kissed his fingers softly, his brow arching again at the sweet gesture, his body tensing when he felt her left hand grip his hardened girth through his pants, a slight grumble coming from him - he knew she could be dominant during sex if she wanted to, but she always submitted to him, which honestly turned him on even more. But despite his excitement, she released her grip on him, sliding out of the bed with a grin. He blinked slowly, processing what just happened, moving to get up but she ran off to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

"Kitten, that's not fair," He said, knocking on the door with a grin.

"Oh, it's _very_ fair, Mister Handsome," She called back, leaning against the door. She needed to calm down, or she'd be entering her ovulation cycle a lot sooner than she was ready for, and she wasn't on the birth control anymore. Even though she had been in stasis, taking that away, it was reaching four months since her last cycle, and she could _definitely_ feel it coming.

He banged on the door again, "Open the door, or I'm forcing it open, Pumpkin," He threatened, turning the doorknob slowly. She took a shaky breath, leaning away from the door. She'd worry about it later. He opened the door soon after, his hands wrapping around her waist, pulling her flush against his bare chest, staring down at her with a grin. "Gotcha, Kitten," He whispered seductively down at her, her body shuddering at that seductive tone of his. He knew exactly how to push all the right buttons when he wanted to.

"Oh no, what ever shall I do?" She whispered back, trailing her hands across his broad, muscular chest, grinning up at him. He wanted to continue this little game they had going on, but he couldn't. He had to go in, Rhys would be arriving soon, and he knew deep down that Adelia would probably be leaving with Rhys this time, especially after what happened earlier. "Jack?" She asked softly, her grin falling.

"Sorry, Pumpkin, but we have to cut it short today. Rhys will be waiting for us any minute now," He said, slowly pulling away from her. He could feel how happy that made her, and that hurt him. But she had no intention to leave. Jack needed her right now, and she was sure Rhys would understand. Tomorrow, though, she would probably leave, assuming Jack was better off.

"That's okay," She said, patting his arm lightly. "I need to see the doctor anyway," She continued, seeing Jack arch a brow, her cheeks flushing, looking away from him. "My ovulation cycle will be coming soon," She finally mumbled, her face flaring even brighter.

"Oh," He said, slowly getting dressed, his pants half-way pulled up his leg before the realization hit him. " _Oh_ ," He said again, blinking slowly. "And you need your shot, I'm guessin'?" He asked, adjusting himself inside of his pants.

"Yeah," She said, combing her fingers through her hair slowly. "I don't think now is a good time," She mumbled, seeing him pause, looking at her. 

"Kitten, if you did decide you wanted kids, I'm sure Rhys wouldn't mind. I know I wouldn't," He said, slightly lying. He was terrified of having another kid and fucking it up all over again. He and Rhys had talked about it before loosely, in case it ever did happen. Rhys was thrilled to death at the thought of having a kid with her, while he was worried, but if they did end up being a Siren... Wouldn't she be able to help them, instead of leaving them on their own as Angel had been?

"Jack, you don't have to lie," She said, walking over to him, her hands cupping his arms, stopping him as he adjusted his belt. "I know you've been thinking about it, and I can feel that you're uncomfortable. I'd never force something like that on you."

"It's not that, Pumpkin," He said, reaching out to cup her chin between his thumb and index fingers, tilting her head up. "I'm just worried I'll fuck it up again. I couldn't protect Angel. She betrayed me. What if that happens again?" He said the last part without thinking, seeing her face twist into a frown.

"I know you did everything you could for her," She started, moving her hands up to cup his cheeks, her thumbs running along his cheekbones. "She may not have realized that, but I do. You did everything you could for her," She comforted him, her words weighing heavily on him. He needed to hear them. He blamed himself for what had happened to her, but Adelia was right - he did everything he could to protect her. 

He grinned, bringing his lips to hers, kissing her fiercely, chuckling when she returned his kiss with a soft one. "Go get dressed, Cupcake," He said, releasing her chin. She smiled at him before making her way out of his room, going back to her old room to hopefully find some sort of pants or dress to wear, assuming Rhys hadn't taken them all with him.

* * *

_**On Helios... (12:45 PM)** _

Having found the grey leggings Rhys had bought her, she put them on but didn't have any shirts, so she just wore the one she slept in. She had already gotten her shot and caught up with Doctor Samuel, informing him of more information about the Eridians since it was long overdue. She was reluctant at first, but Jack reassured her to explain, even going as far as to show the doctor his marking on his backs to prove her points for her. Now, she sat in Jack's lap, her legs straddling him while her face nuzzled against the nook of his neck, her breath slow and shallow while she slept against him. She had told him it was probable that she'd be sleeping a lot at first, but he didn't think it'd be this much, but then again, she also said she came out earlier than she needed to because she could 'feel how bad they needed her', whatever that meant.

The doors to his office buzzed, his eyes snapping up from his computer, seeing a very disheveled Rhys come in. "Sorry I'm late," He said, stepping up the stairs to Jack's desk, seeing Adelia sleeping soundly on his lap. Jack brought his finger up to his lips, shushing Rhys. She hadn't planned to fall asleep on him and started off just looking at Elpis, but when she collapsed behind him, he brought her into his lap, where she quickly dozed off in his lap.

"She just fell asleep," Jack spoke quietly, Rhys staring at her sleeping form. He still couldn't believe Adelia was back. But more importantly, that feeling of fear he felt this morning worried him. Jack had done something to her, but he didn't know what. Quietly, he took his seat across from them, staring at them.

"Has she been sleeping a lot?" Rhys asked quietly, looking at her shifting against Jack slightly, but she didn't wake.

"Oh ho ho, you have no idea, Champ," Jack responded, leaning back against his chair.

"I think I do," He responded, running his red and black cybernetic hand through his hair. "She was like that a lot when you first told me to take care of her. She slept almost all day and night, only waking up to eat, go to her therapy, or shower."

"That's pretty much how she's been," Jack said, slowly nodding. He hadn't realized that. Aside from seeing her at therapy every day, he hadn't seen much of her. "Have you started on your place?" He asked, changing the discussion, feeling her shift against him again, getting comfortable once again.

"I drew up blueprints all night, but I should have it underway by tomorrow," He answered, leaning back in his chair. 

"Do you need expendable workers?" 

"By expendable you mean bots?" He asked, needing clarification.

"I mean, if that's what you consider expendable," Jack said, chuckling.

Rhys shot him a glare, Jack had mellowed out over the years, but he still did have some of that dark ego in him. "I could use a few bots. I have some under construction but it could take a while," He finally answered, hearing her let out that familiar groan he had missed, seeing her eyes opening slowly, a grin breaking out over his face as Jack arched a brow, feeling her stir against his lap.

"How ya feelin' there, Pumpkin?" He asked, seeing her slowly sit up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "You had a nasty fall-"

"She fell? When?" Rhys asked, concerned.

"Before you came in here," Jack said, rolling his eyes at how worried Rhys was.

"I'm fine," She mumbled sleepily, slowly edging off of his lap, his hands holding her waist to steady her. She made her way to Rhys, smiling when he stood up, hugging her tightly. "Rhysie," She mumbled against him, hugging him back just as tightly. He missed her loving embrace nearly as much as she had missed his. She knew Jack tried, but he just wasn't Rhys. Rhys was her first for a lot of things and would always be closer to him than she was Jack, but that was okay. She'd still make it work.

"I missed you, Addy," He whispered to her, squeezing her lightly, the coolness of his cybernetic arm pressing through the thin shirt she was wearing.

"Well, I'll go round up those bots while you two kiddos get reunited," Jack finally said, standing up. He wasn't jealous, per se, but he didn't want to hear their mushy things between one another any longer than he had to. Leaving the office, he locked it behind him, so they'd go undisturbed.

"Baby, what happened earlier?" Rhys asked, leaning back, his hands cupping her cheeks, seeing her gaze shift away from him. He felt his heart drop, something did happen between her and Jack.

"You can't get mad," She said, shifting her gaze back toward his brown one, her hands cupping his hands. "Promise me," She continued.

He tensed. For her to say that, Jack must've really upset her, and he was already getting mad. But for her sake, he slowly nodded. "I won't get mad," He whispered to her, her body shivering from the cool thumb running along her cheek. She missed his warm and cold touch, the love he felt for her, and just overall, him.

"He lost his temper this morning," She said, slowly stepping out of his arms, her hands lowering her leggings, his eyes widening at her ass. It had been too long since he saw it, underwear or not on it. He licked his lips slowly, forcibly shifting his eyes further down, seeing two bandages wrapped around each of her thighs. "I'm not strong enough to heal them, yet," She mumbled, watching as Rhys knelt down, his hands slowly working on the left bandage, unwrapping it carefully. Once he had it fully unwrapped, his eyes widened at the deep claw marks on the back of her thighs, his body stiffening as he grew enraged. "Rhysie, you promised," She said, reminding him, feeling his anger creeping up her spine.

"I know I did, but this is horrible, Addy," He responded, glancing up at her. "Come stay with me on Promethea," He continued immediately after, his hands carefully wrapping her bandage back up. It wasn't as neat as her wrapping, but it was still wrapping it, and she smiled at his attempt.

"Where would I even stay, Baby?" She asked, pulling her leggings up once he stood back up, her grey gaze stealing his breath when she looked up at him. "I've been sleeping a lot so far. I randomly feel weak and I need to sleep. What are your workers going to say about that?"

"Who cares?" He replied, his right arm wrapping around her back, the coolness making her shiver again, while his left hand cupped her cheek, the warmth radiating across her flesh. "What if he hurts you again?"

"I don't think he will," She argued, cupping his hand with hers. "I understand your concern, Baby, but I need to be able to rest. I can't do that with you yet."

"What about a hotel?" He argued back in a hushed tone. He didn't like the idea of her staying with Jack any longer. 

"You'd leave me alone all day to work," She answered, gripping his hand lightly. 

"Then I'll stay with you and Jack again," He declared, her eyes widening at his words.

"Rhysie, you can't-"  
"Adelia, I can. I can leave early in the morning to go to Promethea and be back by night," She shuddered at her name coming from his lips. 

"Who's to say Jack will let you?" She asked, moving her hand from his, cupping his cheek now, her touch soft and welcoming, pulling him closer to her without even trying. "Plus, what if something happens and you're needed on Promethea at that exact moment. I can't Phasewalk anyone right now."

"If it happens, it happens," He whispered, his thumb running along her cheek. "You come first. Plus, your Wraith told us we needed to both be around you so you'd recover faster after you fell into stasis. This eliminates the problem."

"I can't ask that of either of you," She whispered back, breaking her gaze reluctantly. "You both have your own lives to live. You shouldn't live them revolving around me."

"I want to live mine revolving around you," He whispered sweetly to her, her gaze shifting back to his, her face turning a bright crimson at his words. "Through those two years, I never found anyone I cared about as much as you. I mean, hell, I couldn't even have sex with anyone else after I had you," He continued, his own face flushing at his confession. "I love you, Adelia."

She couldn't fight back a smile, her hands slowly moving to wrap around his neck, meeting him half-way in a loving, sweet kiss. A kiss she had missed so much, one that only Rhys could give her. She slowly slid her hands into his hair, tugging on it lightly, earning herself a hushed groan from him, a smirk coming on her face when he deepened their kiss. He wanted her, but he knew now wasn't the time or place. "I love you, Rhys," She whispered to him when he broke their kiss, both of them panting, having stolen each other's breath. She cared about Jack, but an Eridian's first willing mark would always be closer to them. Plus, he did take her first kiss, her virginity, and so much more. "I'll come with you to Promethea as soon as you get your... No, _our_ place built," She corrected herself, smiling up at him, seeing him beam down at her.

"If you don't like the idea of a Promethea house," He started, resting his forehead gently against hers, keeping his gaze on hers. "Then we'll build again in Opportunity. I'm willing to compromise so you can be around us both," He explained, seeing her smile grow even larger. At first, he hated the idea of sharing her, but he'd rather share her than lose her. Plus, Jack really wasn't that bad of a guy, at least, not up until this point, when he hurt her. He was still pretty miffed about that, but hopefully, that'd resolve itself in time - she didn't seem still upset by it, after all.

"Oh," She said, realizing something, causing him to arch a brow. "Couldn't you just talk to Jack about syncing the Fast travels for our use?"

"I don't think either of us has that kind of technology, Baby," He answered, seeing her smile fall. "But," He started, running his metal thumb against her cheek, grinning when she shivered from the cool touch. "I'm sure between the two of us, we could make something like that."

Her smile crept back on her lips as she gazed into his brown eyes. "Then, there would be less compromising," She whispered, running her hands through the back of his hair slowly. "Plus," She continued, bringing her lips closer to his. "I could just sleep in your lap after you get up. Assuming you want me to," She whispered the last part teasingly, grinning when he shuddered.

"Of course I want you to, Addy," He whispered back, pressing her lips against hers, giving her another sweet kiss, one that she happily returned. "I missed you so much, Baby," He spoke softly to her, giving her another soft peck on the lips.

"I missed you, too, Rhysie," She cooed back to him, smiling up at him. "But," She started, his face falling nearly immediately. There was always a but. "I am entering my ovulation cycle soon. Probably in a week or two," She explained, his eyes blinking slowly.

"You were late starting last time when I took care of you, though," He said, confused.

"I know," She mumbled. "I was in a longer stasis then, it took my body longer to adjust. When I went into stasis last time, I was already nearing my cycle. I should've started it already, but since I was in a temporary stasis, it pushed it back, but, I feel it coming," She explained softly, her gaze staying locked on his. "I did get my birth control shot renewed to be safe, but... I don't know if my body will have it in effect by the time I start, so..." Since she wasn't fully human, it did take a few weeks for it to take effect with her.

"So you don't want me to uh... you know," He mumbled, his face flaring a bright crimson.

"If you can help it," She answered, her own face flaring a bright crimson, matching his. "I know you're not against the idea of having kids, but I don't feel comfortable right now, I'm still too weak."

"And Katagawa is still running around," He added on, seeing her slowly nod. "I understand, Baby," He answered, smiling down at her. He did understand, he could look at her and see how weak she was. Her body was frail compared to before, and if she had any strength, the marks Jack had put on her would've healed already. His smile fell when her eyes looked glossed over, her grip on him faltering a bit. "Addy?" He asked, steadying her swaying body.

"Sorry, I just got really tired," She murmured, sliding her arms locking around his neck. "Hold me?" She asked softly, looking up at him with her grey gaze, his body shivering from her gaze.

"Of course, Baby," He whispered to her, turning them so he could sit in the chair behind him, his hands softly grasping her thighs, pulling her carefully into his lap. She smiled down at him, giving his lips a gentle kiss before nuzzling her face against the crook of his neck, her grip on him relaxing as she fell asleep quickly.

After a few minutes, Jack came back into the office, dusting off some sawdust as he walked in, seeing Rhys sitting in the chair across from his desk, arching a brow while he walked around, seeing Adelia fast asleep on his lap. "She's sleeping again?" He asked, taking his seat in his yellow chair, propping his feet up on the desk, looking at the two of them.

"Yeah, she fell back asleep not too long ago," Rhys responded, rubbing her back softly. "Jack, listen-"  
"She's gonna have to be around us both a lot, huh?" Jack cut him off, dusting a bit more sawdust off his shoulder.

"That's what the Wraith said," He answered, feeling her stir against him slightly, moving her face closer to him, his body tensing significantly while Jack smirked.

"Holdin' her's a bitch, ain't it, Kiddo?" He asked, chuckling when Rhys gave a stiff nod.

"Anyways," Rhys continued, trying not to think about her warm breath hitting his neck. "What if we worked together to sync Promethea's fast travels with Helios and Pandora's?" He asked, hearing Jack hum.

"Did you come up with that all by yourself or did she help you?" He teased, grinning when Rhys flared his nostrils, his cheeks darkening, having his answer. "I figured as much," He continued, holding his hands across his stomach. "We can work on something like that. Shouldn't be too hard since you just repurposed old Hyperion models. We can probably have a test drive ready to go in two days."

"It'd make it easier on her to get between us," Rhys said, seeing Jack glance at him, surprised. Rhys used to harbor so much jealousy toward him, and he knew it, but to see him being relaxed about it really surprised him. "Plus, since I just have a bed shoved in the corner of my office right now, she can't exactly stay with me with as much as she needs to rest. She'll be constantly disturbed."

"That sounds like a problem you need to deal with," Jack shot back, chuckling at Rhys's exasperated movements, watching him throw his hands up in the air.

"The only other alternative is I move back in with you, and she's against it."

Jack nearly fell backward in his chair hearing the last part of what he said, catching himself, shooting a glare at Rhys who was covering his mouth, laughing to himself. She was against it? Why? "Why is she against that?"

He stayed quiet, glancing at Jack. "She said she doesn't want our lives to revolve around her. And, I'm pretty sure doesn't want to force us to see each other be close with her, though she didn't say that."

"Kind of late for that," He said, seeing Rhys nod in agreement. "We had to tolerate it before, we could do it again if we had to, though, it'd be pretty friggin' nice to not have to share her all the time."

"I can agree on that," He agreed, nodding again. "But, it's nice to see her every day, too, even if we do share her."

"That is nice," He agreed, setting his feet down. "But I want to spend time with her when you're there, too, and I don't just mean when you're showering, Champ."

Rhys stayed quiet, thinking to himself. He wasn't completely opposed, but he didn't know how she'd feel about it. He had a long time to think about his relationship with her, and now that Jack was marked, he knew it'd eventually come down to this. "I can deal with that," He finally answered. He could, especially if it meant she'd be happy. "I'll be on Promethea during the days anyways. But, I want her to come with me sometimes."

"That's all up to her," Jack responded, seeing Rhys roll his eyes. 

"Obviously."

"You've been around her thirty minutes and you're already catching her attitude," Jack said, grinning.

"Moving on," Rhys said, "If we do sync up Promethea's fast travels with Pandora's and Helios's, it'll save us a lot of money."

"Now you're talkin' my language, Rhysie. You should've started with that," He responded, laughing when Rhys rolled his eyes. "It'd save us the cost to fuel up a shuttle to go to and from Promethea, and since she's awake, I'm sure I don't have to tell you how much you'd be spending."

Clicking his tongue, he tapped a pen on his desk. Rhys was right, they'd be using a lot of money to send her to and from. "I was already on your side, but now I really am. Should be pretty easy to put together," He said, chuckling when Rhys scoffed, both of them looking at Adelia stirring in Rhys's lap, a slight groan coming from her, her hand moving up to rub her eyes sleepily. 

"Mm..." She groaned out, slowly sitting upright in his lap, smiling sleepily at him, his heart throbbing in his chest at the sight of her. "You two are really loud," She finally said sleepily, both the men chuckling at her remark.

"Well, sleeping in an office isn't the best friggin' place to nap, Pumpkin," Jack said, grinning when she turned to squint at him, giving her a playful shrug.

"He is right," Rhys piped in, Adelia turning to look at him with a similar squint, covering his mouth with her hand.

"I didn't ask for feedback," She said, grinning down at Rhys, watching him grip her hand with his cybernetic one, a slight shiver coming from her from the touch of the cold metal against her warm skin. "Also, Rhysie, why did you take almost _all_ of my clothes? Do you know how hard it was to get dressed after I showered? I had practically nothing," She chastised him, Jack covering his mouth, hiding his grin, watching her fuss at him.

"Most of your stuff _was_ my stuff," He argued back, grinning up at her when she flared a bright crimson. 

"So my dresses were "your stuff"?" She asked, using air quotes, Jack officially absolutely losing his shit behind them, laughing at her remark. Even with Rhys, she still had that fiery attitude they both loved.

"Well, I, uh..." He said, staring up at her with a flushed face.

"I don't think 'uh' is an answer, Mister," She remarked, pinching both of his cheeks lightly with her hands, tugging on them ever so slightly. She would've said his last name, but she wanted to at least slightly spare him from Jack's assault of laughter.

"I don't have an answer," He finally admitted, gripping her hands with his hands, pulling her hands from his cheeks, holding them in his. She huffed, smiling down at him.

"Then, I expect you to at least bring some with you next time," She stated, turning her hands to intertwine their fingers. He grinned up at her, nodding, hearing Jack finally calm down from laughing.

"Rhysie, she got you good," Jack said, wiping a fake tear from his eye, leaning back in the chair, watching as Adelia slowly stood up after sharing a soft kiss with Rhys.

Rhys rolled his eyes, slowly standing up, adjusting his vest. "I should get back to Promethea," He said, having received a message through his ECHO eye. "I'll send you a prototype I was working on for what we discussed," He continued, looking at Jack, smiling at Adelia's pouting face. He wrapped his right arm around her waist, giving her a passionate, deep kiss, one that she happily returned, her hands resting on his shoulders lightly. "I love you, Addy. I'll be back soon," He whispered to her, caressing her cheek with his left hand.

"I love you too, Rhysie," She whispered back, smiling up at him. She was going to miss him again, but she knew he had other matters to attend to. "Don't forget my clothes next time," She reminded him, giggling when he chuckled.

"I won't, Baby," He promised, slowly unwrapping his arm from around her, making his way out of the office with a grim face.

"Well," Jack said, once Rhys was out of the office. "I don't know about you, but I'm friggin' hungry."

She rolled her eyes, running her hand across his desk, as she made her way around to him, gazing down at the pile of paperwork on his desk. "Shouldn't you do that first?"

"What? This?" He asked, picking up the stack of papers. "They know better than to leave this in here when I'm not around if they wanted it back the same day," He said, dropping the papers back on his desk, standing up, adjusting his mask on his face. He had grown used to wearing it again, but when he was around her, he often remembered he was wearing it. 

"So irresponsible of you," She teased, smiling at him. She was still sleepy, and the bags under her eyes could show anyone that much. Jack already knew she'd be sleeping a lot, he just didn't expect this much. She still looked significantly weak, but he would protect her this time. He didn't let her out his line of sight long, and if he did, he planned to only do it if Rhys was around, like earlier. He arched a brow at her words, his legs spreading slightly as she slid back into his lap, straddling him with a grin. "How about you do your paperwork, and I sleep?" She asked with a wink, seeing the genuine concern on his face. 

"You're still tired, Kitten?" He asked softly, moving his hands to cup her cheeks, his heterochromatic gaze meeting hers. 

"A little," She mumbled, breaking her gaze from his.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked again, his calloused thumbs rubbing against her soft skin. "I know you said you'd sleep a lot, but this is a bit much-"

"I _am_ fine," She reassured him. "I just need a lot of rest. I can't leech off of you all the time to get my strength back, and Rhys is busy with his stuff."

"How does that leeching or whatever shit work?" He asked, sliding his hands down, resting his hands against her waist.

"Well," She started, her cheeks flushing. "I can absorb off of you if I touch your mark and I'm extremely weak like I was when I fell into slumber again, but sometimes, I can't get enough. I get more from um... you know..." She mumbled the last part, looking away from his arched brow, a smirk creeping on his face.

"No, Pumpkin, I don't think I do know," He taunted, seeing her stare at him with wide eyes.

"From... uh... Sex," She finally said, her face flaring a bright crimson, keeping her stare on his. "I can absorb the entire time, but the best time is when I... um..." She trailed off, slowly shifting her gaze off of his. He was amused by how flustered she was getting just talking about it. He had never seen her get embarrassed like this, there was when she was around a lot of people, but one on one like this? Absolutely not. It was entertaining him.   
"When you..." He pushed, a slight groan coming from his throat when she squirmed against his lap, her hips pressing against his. "Stop that, Kitten," He said, gripping her hips tightly, but not hurting her, keeping her still when she grinned.

"When I cum," She finally said, running her hands over his chest slowly, caressing him through his shirt. He played right into her hands. "But it can be more exhausting to the other party than me, as you had seen last night. Their hearts race too fast and it makes the Eridium move quickly, so just touching the marks can drain them for a while. They usually have to sleep after. Once they get more used to it, it's not as hard on them, though."

He hummed again, moving his hands up, before edging them into her leggings, giving her ass a firm squeeze, chuckling when a soft moan came from her, her hips moving against him slightly, a slight grunt coming from him, his hands moving back to her hips, stilling them. "I know I'm handsome, but you're insatiable, Pumpkin," He whispered to her, grinning when she giggled at the play on his words. "Let me get this right," He continued, changing the subject. "So, if you're the only one hitting your climax and you touch me or Rhysie boy, you'd absorb a lot without draining us?"

"I... Don't actually know," She said, feeling his hands pawing at her sides. 

"Then, I guess we'll have to find out," He promised and threatened, her body shuddering at the thought. "After all, it's _much_ more fun when you beg for me, Kitten," He seductively spoke to her, her body shuddering again, his smirk growing across his lips. "But, not now. I'll wait," He reassured her, feeling her relax against him. She wasn't hard to arouse, but, he could see how tired she actually was, and if he got too excited, they could end up falling asleep on the floor. Plus, he could tie her up to his bedposts at home.

"Work on your work," She chastised him, seeing him roll his eyes with a chuckle. 

"I will, _Honey_ ," He said her new nickname with a seductive tone, watching her eyes widen at the sudden shift.

"Honey?" She asked, arching a brow at him.

"Well, it's either that or Cupcake," He teased, lazily sliding his hands out of her leggings. "And you don't care for Cupcake. I can see it on your face when I call you that."

"What's with you and food nicknames?" 

"A king likes to feast," He responded, smirking at her reddened face. "But, you're different, Kitten. I've only ever called a handful of people that, and it was in passing, aside from..." He paused, seeing her slowly nod.

"I know," She mumbled. Strangely enough, despite him always looking at her like she was a meal for him, to know he thought more of her than that made her happy. Rhys called her 'baby', after all. She could deal with 'honey'. "Didn't you call me Princess once or twice?" She asked, hearing him chuckle.

"I got ahead of myself if I did. You're clearly a queen," He said, seeing her flush again. He was really laying it on her today. 

"I vaguely recall you having Timothy saying every king needs a queen," She teased, seeing his grin grow.

"I did," He admitted, slowly sliding his hands up her body, stopping only when he reached her throat, a soft gasp coming from her as he pulled her down. He was the only one who could get away with this. Rhys had tried it, but she couldn't. He wasn't really into it. He'd touch her throat from time to time, but he wouldn't actively pin her down or grip it. "And I still mean it," He whispered to her, his bi-colored gaze burning into her grey one, her body trembling at the feeling of dominance radiating off of him. 

"You're really laying it on today, huh?" She asked in a hushed tone, feeling him breathlessly chuckle beneath her, their lips meeting in a needy, shared kiss, her hands slowly sliding up his chest, her hands tangling in his hair while his grip tightened on her throat, earning himself a faint moan from her. He forced his tongue inside of her mouth, satisfied that she happily submitted to him again, their tongues rubbing together in their heated kiss. She gave his tongue a soft suckle, a growling noise coming from him as he released his grip on her throat, breaking their kiss, his girth already growing hard beneath her. He didn't want to stop, and neither did she, but he wasn't about to leave himself vulnerable in his office.

"Not here," He whispered to her, seeing her pouty expression. "When we get home," He promised, seeing her eyes twinkle, her face was flushed a light pink, making the freckles stand out against her fair skin.

She squirmed against his erection, before grinning at his pained expression, slowly leaning down to press her face against the nook of his neck. "Then, I'll sleep until you finish your paperwork," She whispered against him, hearing him chuckle once again.

He didn't say anything back, knowing if he did, they'd keep bantering on with one another and she'd never rest, and within seconds, she had fallen asleep against him once again, her hands slowly sliding from around his neck to his shoulders, relaxing against him. He leaned forward, placing his left hand against her back, scooting them forward as she nuzzled closer to his neck, her grip tightening on him slightly. He grinned at her sleeping, petite frame against his long one, his hand lazily, but quickly, signing away at the forms on his desk, going through them fairly quickly. They were just the finalized sales to planets and retailers, so a brief skim and a sign, and he was done.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is going to have some BDSM themes/talk (but not really any extreme BDSM-themed like Impact Play, pain play, etc, just mild things. I don't want anyone to be uncomfortable reading :]). I'll leave some AN like always.

Handing off the pile of paperwork to his male secretary, Jack adjusted Adelia in his arms, shooting a glare at the younger male who blushed furiously, clearly staring at her ass. Since she had lost more than half of her body weight while she slept, she was actually fairly light for him to tote around. "Let me make one thing clear for you, Kiddo," Jack said, resting his hand against the desk, looking at the already trembling secretary. It was no secret that Jack had close to no tolerance for anyone who insulted or talked about Adelia less than pleasantly, and that was made clear by the pile of bodies of potential secretaries he hired. This kid was number six. After the fifth woman - and the last secretary -, Jack decided to go just for men, mostly because he was 'tired of all the women throwing themselves at him'. "If you even glance at her like that again, I'll gouge your friggin' eyeballs out with a spoon," He spoke threateningly, his heterochromatic eyes staring down at the young, blonde man.

"Y-yes, Sir!" The man said, quickly turning away. He had heard stories of Adelia from some of the other workers, saying she was the 'only woman Jack seemed to favor'. It wasn't a lie, Jack hardly got aggressive about any other woman coming in and out of his office, even before now. Seeing as he just started working under Jack directly, he couldn't help but ogle nearly all of them, but every single one that left his office constantly complained that Jack rejected their advances, even going to the extent of dropping a few down the trap door and requesting a cleanup crew down there. It wasn't a lie that he was more than terrified of Jack, but seeing this pale, petite figure being toted around definitely had drawn his attention, especially with the bruises on her neck, just barely peeking out from behind her black hair.

"Glad we're on mutual understanding, Kiddo," He responded, moving his hand off of the desk as she faintly whined against him, tightening her grip on him, her face nuzzling closer to his neck again. The secretary almost couldn't believe it. For two years, Jack was harsh and cold to nearly every other woman who came near him, so to see him be possessive of this one definitely made him wonder if this was the Adelia he heard so much about. He also found himself wondering why he hadn't seen her around, but he knew better than to press Jack's buttons, watching as the two of them dematerialized in front of him, snapping a quick picture of Jack's back and Adelia slightly draped over him.

He blinked his eyes, his hands going to the ECHO, texting his friends that he believed he had finally seen her, and she was definitely as hot as the rumors said, sending the picture off in the group chat with a grin.

_**At Jack's house... (4:45 PM)** _

"Kitten," He whispered to her, closing the door behind them. 

"Mm..." She whined, rubbing her face sleepily. "We're already home?" She asked in her sleepy voice, a grin on his face.

"Yes, Pumpkin, we are," He answered, setting her down slowly, making sure to steady her when she stumbled a bit. "Do you need to sleep more?"

"I think I'll be fine once I wake up a bit," She responded, resting her head against his chest. "But, can we hold out on your... um... 'experiment' until later?"

"Of course, I'm not a monster," He scoffed, hearing her giggle. "You need to eat before we do anything. I could toss you across this room with how much weight you've lost."

"I knew you were going to say something about my weight eventually," She teased, feeling his arms grip her waist, holding her still, her hands running down his upper arms, a small smile on her face. "What's for dinner, then?"

"I'll figure it out once I get to the kitchen," He answered, watching her lift her hands up, slowly taking off his mask for him, grinning down at her. "Y'know, Kitten. You're the only woman who didn't find my scar disgusting."

"That's because it's my mark," She retorted, her cheeks flushing, her mouth having moved faster than her brain. "Though, I didn't pick for it to be there. Besides," She paused, running her thumb over the bottom of his mark. "Scars don't define a person."

"That was so fuckin' corny, Kitten," He teased, laughing when she rolled her eyes. "But I appreciate it," He smiled down at her. "You're the only one who hasn't betrayed me, yet."

"Hey, I get my corniness from you," She teased back, giggling. "I don't plan to betray you," She responded seriously, moving her other hand up to cup his other cheek, her soft touch making him shudder ever so slightly. She was so sweet and caring towards him, he honestly had a hard time believing it was still his life. So much betrayal had happened to him, and yet, here he was, trusting her after he had sworn off trusting anyone, especially a woman after Moxxi and his second wife. Even before them, he had issues trusting people. There was just nobody like his first wife. Until now. And she was here, in his arms, looking up at him like he was nearly her entire universe. She had melted his hardened heart and broke through so many boundaries he set up for himself, and the worst part? He let her. He could've stopped. But he didn't. He was curious about her at first, but by the time he realized he was getting close, it was too late. He already started to develop feelings for her. "Jack?" She asked softly, staring at him, concerned. He snapped out of his thoughts, gazing down at her. "Are you alright?" She asked just as softly as before.

"Perfectly fine, sweetcheeks," He said, her face flaring at another new nickname from him. "I'll get dinner cooked," He continued, gripping her hand in his calloused, rough one, pulling them away from his face. "You should rest on the couch, we've got a long night ahead of us," He said the last part seductively, shivers running down her spine at his hungry gaze meeting hers, taking his mask from her, brushing past her to go into the kitchen. Making her way to the couch, she slowly laid down on it, closing her eyes, but her mind was running.

She was both excited and terrified for what he had planned for them, but she trusted him not to push too far. What happened earlier was nothing more than a mistake that he did seem to regret. Up until then, he had been very mindful of her limits, always knowing when to stop before she was pushed too far. He had a lot of patience with her, especially when it came to his sadistic tendencies. He'd hurt her, but not enough to _hurt_ her. He liked to be in control, and she liked him being in control. Rhys and her, though, were different. He had tried to be in control more, but he wasn't as dominant as Jack, and that was okay. That kind of stuff wasn't for everyone and she was fine with or without it. She wasn't going to ask Rhys to change his ways just for her, especially when he still held _some_ dominant traits. He just wasn't as aggressive about it. He definitely wasn't into choking (or in Jack's words, mild strangulation, because 'choking is when you eat too fast'), but he didn't mind gripping her throat lightly, smacking her ass with his hands, or leaving marks all over her. He wasn't into using toys too much, at least, not like Jack was, but he didn't need to - Jack didn't really go far into toys usually, either, only when she had been in her cycle and both of them needed a break. They satisfied her for the time being while the two of them rested. The most common thing he used was handcuffs and the collar, though, it had been a while since either, now that she actually was thinking about it - it had been two years since that had happened last. It was very possible that Rhys had adjusted more into being dominant - he and Jack had gotten closer, after all. She only had the pleasure to be around him for a few minutes each time, but honestly, she was excited to spend time with him again. She liked being around Jack, but she really wanted to spend time with Rhys and his goofiness. Jack was a great gut, but his ego still got the best of him quite frequently, and to her, he was a total wild card. Sometimes he was sweet, other times she wanted to strangle him, but she had grown to love that about him.

Eventually, after thinking about both of them, she drifted off into a light sleep.

* * *

After they had finished eating and their dinner had gone down, Adelia had freshly showered, putting her long, black hair in a bun, both of them sitting on the couch. Jack was sipping on a beer, flipping through the emails on his ECHOband, while she was sitting with her legs up, playing on her newly upgraded ECHO. She still didn't have any pants beyond her leggings to wear, so she was back in a pair of her lacey panties and another one of Jack's shirts, this one being a dark grey with a bright yellow "HYPERION" logo written across the chest. He didn't seem to mind her taking his clothes, but she still felt bad for taking all his clothes, despite him saying they were old shirts he barely wore.

"I would've been fine keeping my old ECHO, you know," She said, struggling to figure out the new one. She knew how to call people on it, but as for her games, she had no idea. It was more slender than her old one, but it still kept a similar screen size, only being an inch or two smaller than before. The main difference, though, was it was mostly touch screen, compared to the old one that had buttons on it.

"I told you, Kitten. The old ones went out about a year ago," He said, chuckling at her visible frustration. "Just use your finger on the screen."

"I can't find my games, though," She huffed, glaring at him when he laughed, reaching over to take the device from her, opening her game folder before handing it back to her. "Don't close it this time, m'kay, Pumpkin?" He teased, smirking at her.

"It was an accident!" She said, taking the device from him with another huff, his smirk only growing at her attitude. The more attitude she had, the more he wanted to discipline her, and he'd be doing that soon enough. "It's not my fault it's so confusing," She continued, opening up the last game Jack had downloaded for her - the space shooting game.

"You'll catch on," He responded, grinning at her letting out a few quiet curses, losing nearly instantly. "Language, Kitten," He corrected her, already knowing she rolled his eyes - which she did. She didn't say a smart ass remark, but instead, focused on trying to learn the new device, which, honestly, was pretty easy for her to get the hang of in her games. Taking another sip of his beer, he set it back down on the arm of the couch, going back through his emails. It was mostly pointless emails, since Opportunity had been repaired and re-secured and they had taken the building from Maliwan for Atlas during the war, things had been fairly quiet. Nobody dared to go against Jack after he practically ripped Maliwan to shreds, singlehandedly destroying the empire they had built over the years with barely any casualties from Hyperion's side. He hummed in amusement at one of the emails from Rhys, showing the blueprints to Jack. He wasn't surprised that it was small - Rhys was never one to go big. It was just a three-bedroom house with two large baths, similar to his, except, his only had two bedrooms. The laundry room was pretty small and the kitchen wasn't nearly as large as his, but he could understand why. Rhys had no idea how to cook, and despite him trying to teach him for the past two years, Rhys still only knew the bare minimum. Promethea wasn't _horrible_ , but it wasn't a good planet either, at least, not when they had first arrived. It was overrun with gangs and ratches, but those were easily taken care of by the WAR loaders Jack had loaned to Rhys. Now that Atlas was there, the city had started to blossom into a great planet, the excess money Rhys made that didn't go to Jack or Sanctuary went to helping build up the planet.

He typed a response, hearing Adelia groan as she lost - again -, chuckling. Once he sent the email over, he finished off his beer, setting the empty bottle down on the table, his left hand slowly sliding up her smooth leg. "All done?" She asked, still focusing on her game, a soft squeal coming from her when he yanked her down, her attention going from her ECHO device that hit the floor to him, staring at him with widened eyes.

"All done," He answered to her in a hushed tone, his hands moving hers together, his left hand holding both of her arms down by her wrists, while his lips pressed against her jawline, giving it a harsh nibble, grinning when she inhaled sharply. 

"What if you broke it?" She whispered to him, referring to her ECHO. He kept giving her all these expensive things and she couldn't return the favor for anything.

"I'm Handsome Jack, Baby. I can buy you another one," He whispered against her ear, grinning when her body shuddered at yet another new nickname for her. He was rich, after all. Money wasn't an issue. 

Moving his hand under her (his) shirt, she squirmed beneath him, giggling when his fingers tickled along her side. "S-stop!" She said through her giggles, her smile on her face. She knew he was trying to ease her mind off of what he had planned, and honestly, it was working. 

"Not a chance, Kitten," He purred to her, grinning when she squirmed more, his fingers quickening their pace along her sides. He had found out when she was in her last ovulation cycle that she was extremely ticklish on her sides if he touched them _just_ right, and, weirdly enough, it seemed to relax her more. There was probably some scientific explanation behind it, but he didn't have the patience to look into it.

She jerked her hands against his wrist, tears coming to her eyes as she laughed, fighting against him, a few chuckles of his own coming from him, "P-please, stop!" She exclaimed, still laughing. He chuckled, moving his hand out of her shirt, cupping her cheek with it, wiping away the few stray tears as her chest heaved, catching her breath. "You're such a dick," She said to him with a grin.

"Ah-tut-tut, language," He corrected her in a hushed tone, his lips crashing on hers, full of hunger. She let out a startled moan against his lips, but returned his kiss with a gentle one, staring up at him with her reddened face, watching as he released his grip on her, her arms reaching out to him, seeing him smirk down at her. "Yes, Kitten," He answered, sliding his hands under her, one on her back and the other under her ass, lifting her up once she wrapped her arms around his neck, giggling a bit. "You're so friggin' spoiled," He teased her, his fingers edging under her panties.

"Am I?" She teased back, grinning at him. "Or, are you just used to spoiling me?"

He clicked his tongue at her remark, chuckling darkly. "Oh, Kitten," He started, his low tone sending shivers down her spine. "I'm gonna have fun with you tonight."

_**AN: Soft BDSM talk / Smut Coming up.** _

Once in his bedroom, he told her to strip, and although hesitant, she complied, watching him dig through the drawer in his nightstand, pulling out various things, her arm covering her busty breasts while her other hand rested on her legs, which were crossed one over the other. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" She mumbled, seeing him freeze, glancing at her with his sadistic smirk.

"Do you not trust me, Pumpkin? I'm hurt," He said, seeing her face flush a bright crimson.

"Of course I trust you," She responded quickly, her face flushing darker when his smirk grew, a low chuckle coming from him again, his attention going back to digging things out. "I just... don't know how to feel about all of this," She said, motioning to everything laid out on the bed. She knew the handcuffs, collar, and vibrator, but everything else was different. "I wasn't exactly in the right mind last time you used some of these," She mumbled out, looking away from his gaze.

"Kitten, look at me," He said, meeting her hesitant gaze. "If you don't want to do any of this, we don't have to," He continued, moving to sit next to her, pushing all the various things away from him. "I'm not going to force you into something you don't want." He had a feeling this would happen; she wasn't exactly mentally sound last time they played like this, nor did she seem widely educated in this type of play. She did offhandedly mention that Rhys was pretty much her first for everything, and Rhys himself wasn't into this; it had been obvious - he had more dominance over Rhys's personality.

"I don't want to be shocked again," She mumbled, looking at the collar. The last time she had that on her was with Katagawa back at the Gala. It had shocked her horribly and started a string of events. She wouldn't have minded it if she was ovulating, but she wasn't, and it didn't sit with her.

"That's fine," Jack said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "What else?" He could understand the collar, he had completely forgotten how bad it shocked her that night, although, granted, it had been two years for him. He wasn't going to force her into anything she didn't want, even if he was certain she'd like it. No meant no, after all.

"Well... I don't really know what any of those are for," She mumbled. "I know the handcuffs and the vibrator, but..."

Jack arched a brow, watching her flush again, a slight grin on his face. She was so friggin' adorable. "This," He said, unwrapping his arm from around her shoulder, holding up a plastic rod with feathers on one end and a leather pad on the other. "Is a tickler. It also doubles as a paddle," Furthering his explanation, he ran the feathers over the top of her breasts, his grin widening as she giggled, squirming. "But, I won't use the crop end on you if you don't want it."

"It's not that, it's just..." She paused, biting the inside of her cheek, staring at the floor. He could feel her inner turmoil, he just didn't know why she had it. "It may have been a long time to you and Rhys since that stuff happened, but for me, it was like yesterday."

He frowned, setting the tickler down beside him. Pushing all of what he wanted to do with her aside, he cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Adelia," He started, seeing her lips twitch into a slight smile at the sound of her name leaving his lips. "Are you scared because you think it'll hurt like that?"

"A little..." She admitted sheepishly, breaking her gaze off of him. He was furious. Furious at Katagawa. Furious at himself for letting this happen to her. He had dreamed to do this with her for so long, but if she wasn't ready, there was no point.

"It won't," He reassured her, seeing her grey gaze shift back to his. Her heart pounded in her chest, staring into his green and blue gaze.

"Even if you say that, it doesn't ease my worries," She responded, feeling his anger creeping up her spine, fear washing over her again. What if he lost his temper on her again?

"I know that," He started, moving his hand from her chin to her cheek, his rough finger running along her soft skin. "We won't do anything you don't want to do. If you don't want to do this, then we won't. We can find different means to experiment."

"It's not that I don't want to, I'm just scared," She murmured, breaking her gaze from him again. She felt like she was disappointing him. She really did want to try it and experiment, but at the same time, she was scared. She didn't want to be hurt like she was that night.

"I know you are, Honey," He started, her gaze snapping back to him at the sound of his new nickname for her. "That's why we'll ease into it if that's what you want. Let's start with something I know won't bother you, m'kay? And if you want to continue, then we'll start trying different methods. If you don't want to try anything else, then we won't."

She stayed quiet, chewing her bottom lip lightly, seeing him hold his breath. She was so sexy right now, in front of him. Chewing on that damned, plump lip of hers, fully nude, bashful, and blushing. He didn't even care about the play anymore, he just wanted to hold her and make love to her. "Okay," She finally whispered, keeping her gaze on his. "But nothing without explaining it or telling me what you're doing."

"Of course, Kitten. I would never," He agreed, smiling at her. It was cute that she felt the need to explain her conditions to him when he planned to do that anyway. He hardly ever did anything new with her without explaining. "We'll do this first," He started a few seconds later, grabbing a dark grey blindfold from beside him. "No pain or discomfort, just a blindfold," He explained with a grin, watching her roll her eyes.

"I know what _that_ is," She said again, hesitantly moving her arm from around her breasts, his eyes gradually looking down, seeing her perky nipples poking out, her breasts moving slightly while she undid the bun in her hair, her long, black, curly locks falling around her petite, curvy frame. She couldn't help but blush at his stare, it was no secret that he and Rhys always checked her out every chance they could, but it still made her self-conscious when they didn't say anything. She took the blindfold from him, carefully sliding it around her head, leaving it on her forehead, watching as Jack stood up, clearing some of the toys out of her way.

"Get in the middle of the bed."

"Yes, _Daddy_ ," She said with a smug grin, slowly turning, crawling toward the middle of the bed on her hands and knees, a soft yelp coming from her when his hand met her rear left cheek, the stinging surprising her. He had left a mild handprint on her ass, punishment for teasing him when he was trying to be nice to her.

"You're such a Goddamn tease," He breathed to her, watching her get comfortable in the middle of the bed, slowly pulling her blindfold over her eyes, her grin still on her face. Sliding into the bed next to her, she heard the handcuffs clinking next to her, her body jumping when his calloused hand gripped her breast lightly, his fingers massaging her soft tissue. "You remember our safeword, right?" He whispered to her, a shit-eating grin on his face when he pinched her perky, rosy bud, a sharp inhale coming from her.

"Y-yes," She breathed out, biting her lip to hold in her moans, her body twitching slightly beneath him. "Bandits."

"Good girl," He praised to her, his grin growing when her face flared at his praise. He knew she would never be into humiliation and degradation, but now that she was concerned about everything, he had a feeling she'd never be into the hardcore stuff - like waxplay, rope play, and probably not impact play, at least, not now -, and that was fine. He wouldn't push her into anything she didn't want. He also knew that she wouldn't need to use the safeword, he planned to be careful with her until she was more comfortable, but it was better to know she remembered it before they started. "Do you want me to continue?" He asked her in a hushed tone, his lips pressing against her shoulder, his teeth taking in a bit of her skin, giving it a firm suckle, smirking when her skin flooded with goosebumps, the bruise already showing on her fair skin.

"Yes," She answered, smiling at how considerate he was being. Who would've thought, Handsome Jack being gentle in bed?

"I'm handcuffing you, Kitten," He said to her, the handcuffs clinking next to her again, her body shivering when the cool metal pressed against her skin, a comforting warmth coming on the other side of them when Jack locked them, her wrists resting close together. She was okay so far, as far as he could feel - and she was. He had done this to her before, plus the vibrator, just nothing further, the only difference was he didn't keep her hands handcuffed against the wall, he left them free - probably for them to test his theory they had discussed earlier. He caressed his hand over her body, his thumb running over her rosy bud, earning himself a hushed moan from her, a grin still on his face. He could feel how turned on she was getting just from him caressing her, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't getting turned on with her. "I'm continuing," He whispered into her ear, her body trembling slightly, both in excitement and fear of what he was going to use on her next. "It's the tickler, Honey," He explained to her sweetly, a small smile coming to her lips at how sweet he was being, especially with him throwing in that nickname for her. She jumped when the feather touched her bare breasts, a faint giggle coming from her as she squirmed slightly, hearing him chuckle beside her. "This is as far as I'll go," He promised, slowly moving between her legs. He was still dressed in his pajama bottoms, but that could change quickly.

"Okay," She whispered out, relief washing over her. At least he wasn't pushing her too far. She squeaked when he gripped her thighs, pulling her against his legs, her body squirming slightly when he ran the tickler over her breasts again, making sure to taunt her nipples out to a full hard, a faint whimper coming from her, hearing his pleased hum, which honestly, only turned her on more. He slowly stroked it down her stomach, a slight giggle coming from her again when he purposely moved it to her sides, but she didn't squirm much, his grip on her thigh wouldn't let her.

"Stay still, Kitten," He purred to her, moving the feathers along her skin in varying pressures, his movements with it going between long, sweeping motions to short ones. Despite him purposely hitting her ticklish spots a few times, she could feel her body growing more sensitive, her body jolting upward ever so slightly when he reached her thighs, a low chuckle coming from him as her legs trembled against him. "See? It isn't so bad," He spoke gently to her, moving the tickler back to her breasts, purposely taunting her rosy buds again.

Between his gentle words and soft methods, she didn't know how to feel. Up until now, Jack had been more on the aggressive side, but she wasn't complaining. It felt more... Sensual this way. He still held that cocky ego over her, but she didn't mind that either, and he was making sure not to mess with her bandages or touch close to the wounds he left on her earlier. Overall, his gentleness and caring about how she felt really surprised her, especially when he seemed like someone who wouldn't care, and he couldn't get mad at her for thinking that - he wasn't. Normally, women just went along with whatever he wanted, with no complaints. He cared very little about them since most of them were disposed of soon after, anyway, but she was different.

"Answer me, Pumpkin," He whispered to her, pressing the feathers harder against her rosy bud, twirling them slowly, chuckling when she twitched.

"I-it's not," She breathed out. Her body felt like it was on fire, but in a good way. It was tingling everywhere, and every time he moved his hand against her thigh to caress her, she couldn't help but tremble. He smirked, pulling the tickler away from her, tossing it down to the floor, her body tingling when he ran both of his hands over her sides, pawing at her skin. 

"Such a good girl tonight," He praised her, his smirk widening when she shuddered, a faint moan coming from her when he grasped her breasts, his thumb and index fingers pinching both of her erected, rosy buds, a sharp gasp erupting from her when he leaned forward, his erection pressing firmly against her wet slit, his mouth capturing her left nipple once his hand released her breast, giving it a rough suckle, a soft moan coming from her again as she squirmed against him, grinding against his erection slowly. She wanted him, but he had other plans. "I didn't tell you to move, Kitten," He said, his free hand gripping her hip roughly, stilling her. She let out a very audible whine, her cheeks flushing a bright crimson, just imagining the smirk he had on his face, but nevertheless, she stilled her hips. She had a hard time keeping still until he told her to move, but given how turned on she got for him, he let it slide, mostly because she immediately corrected her behavior.

Moving his hand down from her hip, his lips met with hers roughly, her body jolting when he pressed his middle finger against her entrance, a needing moan coming from her against his lips, but she still returned his rough kiss with a hungry one. Breaking their kiss soon after, he hummed in amusement at the faint whine coming from her again, his finger slowly pushing past her soaking hole, penetrating her slowly, a moan coming from her, her back arching just slightly at first, but she remembered his rules, and reluctantly made herself flat again. The whole blindfold thing was she really started to enjoy with him, she never knew what Jack was going to do with her, and although the last time they used it, she was in her ovulation cycle, she still liked it now. She tilted her head back when he pressed his lips against her throat, his teeth grazing against her skin, a sudden moan coming from her when he slid his finger out of her, slamming it back inside of her. He repeated this a few more times, each time earning him a loud moan, while his lips attacked her throat and chest, leaving very faint bruises all over her, but being mindful not to hurt her too severely. 

Carefully, he pressed his index finger against her entrance, gradually sliding it inside of her, her back arching at the feeling as her muscles clamped down around his fingers, signaling the nearness of her climax. "Ah-ah, no cumming yet, Kitten," He whispered to her, grinning when she let out a whimper, followed by a moan, her body trembling when he bent his finger up, rubbing her inner walls just right with each thrust of his hand. Despite his teasing, he only had one dominant thought on his mind: she was absolutely delicious. He hummed in approval when she shuddered, biting the inside of her cheek, holding off her orgasm when he slammed his fingers inside of her suddenly, his other hand moving up to her handcuffs, turning them off, tossing them down. Their play was fun and all, but he wanted to see those hazy, grey eyes of her, feel her touch him again, and most of all, see the look of pure bliss on her face when he finally allowed her to cum.

Tucking his thumb under her blindfold, she slowly opened her eyes, staring at his grinning face hungrily. She wanted to kiss him, pull him closer to her, beg for him to be inside of her, but not yet. Even though she was on the edge, she still held her train of thought, the whole reason they had done this was to see if she could absorb enough from him without exhausting him. She stared at him with lustful, pleading eyes, moans still coming from her as her body continued to tremble with each movement. "Cum for me," He ordered to her, his lips crashing against hers, her hands quickly wrapping around him, one hand tangling in his hair while the other gripped his back roughly, her nails digging into his skin as her body obeyed his command, cumming for him, a loud moan of his name escaping her as she pulled herself closer to him, her muscles gripping his fingers inside of her, pulsating slightly. Normally, she would've waited for his permission, but judging from how hungrily he kissed her, she didn't need to wait, and she was right. He groaned against her lips, feeling her nails dig into his flesh, a warmth coming over him as she leeched off of him. 

She broke their kiss first, her back falling back against the bed as she panted with her eyes closed, her face flushed a bright crimson, her hands moving to his shoulders, then down his arms, gripping him lightly. She didn't get enough energy off of him, but she did get quite a bit. If they had done it again, she'd probably have enough. "I didn't take too much, did I?" She asked, opening her grey eyes to gaze up at him, watching him wipe his fingers off on his pants. He glanced up at her, grinning at her.

"No, Kitten, you didn't," He answered, meeting her gaze with his heterochromatic one. She smiled up at him, her eyes widening when he started to pull his pants down, his erected girth twitching. "But, now, it's my turn," He purred to her seductively, chuckling when she trembled, his lips meeting hers hungrily.

_**AN: BDSM themed smut over. But still more (slight?) smut ahead.** _

Once they had finished, they had taken a shower together, which, of course, lead to another round, but now, Adelia was laying against him, watching him go through more of his emails, her lower half throbbing. He wasn't soft on her this time and definitely left her sore, but she didn't mind it. "You sure do get a lot of emails," She said, trailing her fingers along his chest.

"All part of the job," He responded, smiling down at her. "Though it's more or less sale reports than anything, still friggin' annoying to wake up to thousands of emails in the morning if I don't check them frequently."

"I can see how that'd be annoying," She agreed, nuzzling her face against his chest, her arm wrapping around his stomach, a soft yawn coming from her. 

"Get some sleep, Pumpkin," He said, moving his hand from his ECHO band to caress her head.

"But you're still staying up," She huffed, turning her head to look up at him, meeting his cocky smirk.

"I never took you for a clingy person, Adelia," He teased, her body shivering from her name. It was so rare for him or Rhys to call her by her actual name, so when they did, she couldn't help but be slightly aroused - nearly every time they used it, it was discussing something sexual or doing something sexual. 

"What's wrong with clingy?" She shot back, fighting back a smile.

"Nothin', as long as it's from you," He answered, giving her forehead a kiss, his smirk only growing when her face flared a dark red. "Hard to believe I was fighting for this," He said, trailing his thumb along her bottom lip, redder than usual and slightly swollen from his abuse on it earlier, "When you're such a dirty girl for me."

"Oh, you're _such_ an asshole," She huffed, moving away from him with a bright red face, her ears matching her face as she put her back to him.

"Language, Honey," He corrected her, chuckling, setting his ECHO watch down on the nightstand. He scooted down beside her, wrapping his arm around her waist, his hand edging up her shirt slowly, her body betraying her when goosebumps flooded across her skin, her rosy buds already starting to grow erect. "Just look how turned on you are for me already," He whispered against her ear, his thumb and index fingers pinching her nipple, a slight whimper coming from her as she bit the inside of her cheek, holding in her moan.

"That doesn't mean anything," She argued. "Maybe I'm just cold."

He chuckled lowly against her neck, moving his hand away from her breasts, a squeak coming from her when his hand slid under her boyshorts, pressing against her already-dampening entrance, a faint moan coming from her as her hips ground against his finger slightly. "You call this cold, Kitten?" He continued to whisper in her ear, lazily thrusting his finger in and out of her, each thrust earning him a slight gasp or moan. 

"T-that's..." She started to argue, shutting up when he slid his other arm under her, gripping her throat, pulling her closer to him. 

"That's what?" He asked her in a hushed tone, slowly beginning to grind his growing erection against her rear, the thrusts of his finger gradually growing more aggressive, her slight moans turning into hushed ones as she pressed her body against him, her eyes closing.

"H-hah..." She moaned out, hearing him chuckle behind her, her eyes closing. He really was as insatiable as Doctor Samuel had warned her nearly three years ago, and though Rhys was the same way, she was too close to her ovulation cycle for him to keep doing this. "S-stop, p-please," She finally breathed out, her left hand moving to grip his wrist, his hand stilling with his finger still inside of her.

"Why should I? You lied to me," He stated to her, his grip on her throat loosening slightly.

"Y-you're gonna f-force me into my c-cycle," She whispered out with a shaky voice, clearly flustered already by his touch.

He hummed, slowly pulling his finger out of her, but leaving his hand inside her panties. "Just because you said please," He whispered against her ear, giving the top of it a soft nibble, smirking when her body shuddered. Although he didn't mind her ovulation cycle since his stamina definitely was better than it had been before (thanks to a lot of jerking off in the last two years), he knew he'd have to wear condoms or pull out, and both of them didn't exactly sound fun for him. Releasing her throat, he chuckled at her sigh of relief, his arm relaxing out from her, his other hand staying on her hip, holding her close to him. He still had an erection, but he could deal with that once she fell asleep. "Go to sleep, Kitten," He whispered to her, raising a brow when she shifted in his arms, turning to face him with her pink face.

"Do I have to face away from you?" She asked sheepishly, her grey eyes burning into his.

"No," He chuckled, wrapping both of his arms around her. She really was quite clingy tonight, but he didn't mind. He did push her limits. She nuzzled her face against his chest, sliding her arm around him, her hand gripping his back lightly, drifting off to sleep fairly quickly.

* * *

_**A few days later... (5:45 AM)** _

It had been five days since their meeting with Rhys, and people were buzzing about Jack and Adelia on Helios, no doubt thanks to his secretary. Jack didn't particularly mind it, but it definitely made Adelia uncomfortable. Rhys hadn't been able to make his way back to bring her clothes, saying he had problems on Promethea he had to deal with first. Jack had asked, but Rhys persisted, saying it was "under control".

"Kitten, wake up," Jack whispered to her, shaking her lightly. Today was the day he and Rhys tested out the new fast travel modifications, and, even though they were pretty sure it was ready, they still weren't sure. Today also marked the day that she'd be going to stay on Promethea with Rhys, meaning Jack would be left alone, which was perfect, considering he needed to pay a visit to Elpis - Maliwan had started attacking Hyperion's base there, despite their truce. He really didn't want her to leave, but he didn't have a choice in the matter right now, and as long as she was with Rhys, he knew she'd be safe, especially with him having lent him several Loader, Constructor, and WAR loader bots. He already sent Timothy to check on things on Elpis, but he knew he'd have to pop in and put people in their place.

"Do I have to?" She whined, groaning, slowly sitting up, her hair resting against her naked body. They had been together the night before, and she had fallen asleep not long after their shower without getting dressed - he had to unwrap the wet towel from around her and place her under the blankets, but he didn't mind; he pushed her to her limits again last night. He glanced over her curvy body, smiling that she was finally starting to fill back into her curves. He had already gotten dressed for the day and let her sleep in a bit longer - the only thing he was missing was his mask, and he could put that on when he was walking out the door. Rhys could wait.

"Yes," He answered, rolling her shirt up for her. "Give me your arms," He said, watching as she obeyed, her eyes still closed. He carefully slid her arms through the correct holes, pulling it over her head.

"Mm..." She groaned, sliding her arms around his neck before he could move out of her reach, giving him a grin. "Just a few more minutes, Daddy," She said sleepily, a chuckle coming from him. Over the last few days, she had gotten more and more used to calling him Daddy, and he didn't mind that a bit, though, when they were in public, she still referred to him as 'Jack' or 'Mister Handsome', which honestly, saved her a lot of trouble when it came to onlookers. He wouldn't have minded either way, but he knew she didn't like all the unwanted attention, though, now that he was marked, she wasn't afraid to lay claim to him or Rhys, or both at the same time. Honestly, it was pretty friggin' cute seeing her get possessive over the two of them.

"I'm sorry, Honey, but you need to get up," He whispered to her, running his hand through her messy hair, taking a seat next to her. He had really grown vulnerable around her the last few days, especially after all their scenes. They were still on the tickler, but she seemed satisfied with that, and that was fine to him. She did agree to try the crop end of the tickler once, but she started freaking out not long after he tapped her with it, and although gentle, she was a sobbing mess, and honestly, that infuriated him all over again. "We have to go meet Rhys," He continued, grinning at her groan, watching as she buried her face against his chest, her hands gripping his shirts lightly.

"But 'm sleepy," She said muffledly, slowly scooting herself into his lap. She had also grown significantly more clingy to him over the last few days, and although he'd normally get pissy about it, he didn't mind - if anything, it meant she felt more comfortable around him. He knew she was the same with Rhys, just based on how he held her a few days ago in his office, but with anyone else, even Timothy, she just turned a blind eye too. The farthest she'd ever done anything with Tim was dancing, and she had admitted it was just because he missed their dancing time - the time they hadn't been able to do recently with how weak she had been. But she was gaining her strength back slowly but surely. If their playtime were good for anything, it was for her to leech off of him without putting him in a bind. She received a lot of without taking a lot from him.

"I know, but we have to go," He whispered to her again, kissing her forehead. It did make him happy that she seemed reluctant to leave him, but he knew she missed Rhys, too. The last two days, though, he had actually considered asking Rhys to just move back in with him. The thought of being away from her bothered him more than he anticipated, especially after she had shown her truly vulnerable side to him - the scared, lonely woman who just wanted to be loved. He let his thumb trail along her thighs where her bandages had been, glad to see she had fully healed without a scar.

"Are you going to be okay alone, though?" She finally asked, picking her head, staring up at him sleepily. He couldn't stop himself from smiling at how innocent and worried she sounded.

"I've been alone before, Pumpkin. I think I can handle it. I'm Handsome Goddamn Jack, after all," He said the last part with his cocky grin, chuckling when she rolled her eyes, watching as she huffed, slowly standing up, stumbling a bit. He reached out, grabbing her arm, steadying her. "Sit down," He commanded in his dominant tone, shivers running up her spine as she carefully walked back to the bed, sitting on the edge of it; it wasn't a surprise to him that she could barely walk, given the bruises against her thighs or the fact that they had tied her legs up last night to further test her boundaries. She watched him walk to the dresser, pulling out a pair of her yellow leggings with two stripes running down the sides of the legs - one grey and one white - he had bought for her the other day. He didn't go in on the second day, but when he got ready to go in for the third day, she didn't have any pants to wear and had to stay home, much to both of their dismay. Instead of going right in, he bought her a few pairs of varying colors and brought them back to her. He had bought her jeans, but she put them on and said they were "too tight for her to move around to dance", so he had exchanged them for a few shirts, though, she was still wearing one of his. Walking back over to her, he gripped her left foot, sliding it in the pants leg, moving onto the right one soon after. "Stand up, Kitten," He said, feeling her hands on his shoulders. He slowly stood up, pulling her pants up with him, pulling them up over her rear, chuckling when she rested her head against his chest again with a slight groan. "That sore?" He asked quietly, sliding his hands under the grey Hyperion shirt of hers (his).

"A bit," She mumbled bashfully, gazing up at him with a light pink dusting her freckled face. "I told you we should've stopped after the third time," She huffed, running her hands across his vest smoothing it out.

"Your mouth said to stop but your body said to keep going," He teased her, her face flushing even brighter at his words. He moved away from her, grabbing her hairbrush off of his nightstand

"You're such a-"  
"Ah-ah," He warned her, cutting her off before she could taunt him, running the brush through her hair, carefully brushing out the knots for her. She huffed, shooting him a playful glare, which he shrugged off with a shit-eating grin, tossing the brush onto his bed, chuckling when she squealed at him tossing her over his shoulder, carrying her outside of the house. 

"I could've walked," She argued, gripping the back of his jacket.

"We're already late, Honey," He teased back, grinning when she didn't say anything. Every time he called her that, she just melted and her face would just turn an immediate crimson. Punching the code into the fast travel station, they rematerialized in front of his secretary's desk, the young, blonde boy's blue eyes widening as he met her grey ones, nearly dropping his coffee all over his documents. He had seen Adelia quite a bit over the last few days, but he never made direct eye contact with her or seen her face directly, Jack usually blocked his view of her. She gave a small wave as Jack carried her to his office, evidently not even noticing that the secretary was staring at her.

As the doors to his office opened, he saw a very fidgety Rhys sitting at the desk, his head in his cybernetic hand, his leg moving up and down quickly. "Something on your mind, Kiddo?" Jack asked, setting her down at the top of the stairs, walking toward his chair, taking his seat. She huffed, leaning against Jack's desk at the still fidgety Rhys.

"Rhysie?" She asked, his eyes snapping up to them, his face still holding that grim look.

"Maliwan is attempting to declare war on Atlas," He finally said, Adelia's face paling while Jack's face twisted into anger. 

"Then the attack on Elpis was a diversion," Jack said through clenched teeth, standing up abruptly. "What have they done?"

"They took out a few of my troops and captured one of the Vault Hunters that was working with me - Zer0."  
"That weird cyborg... alien... thing?" He asked, seeing Rhys slowly nod.

"Yeah. He was taking care of the few stray bandits we had, but he went silent the other day when I left," Rhys responded. Adelia just leaned against the desk, not saying anything. She honestly felt like it was her fault that Maliwan kept trying to hurt Rhys and Jack.

"Well, what are we still friggin' doin' here? Let's go. You have your test drive?"

"Yeah, but-"  
"Give it here," Jack demanded, holding his hand out to Rhys over the desk, pushing a button on his chair, a new fast travel station coming up from the floor. Rhys reluctantly placed the small, flat test drive in Jack's hand, both he and Adelia watching as Jack walked over to the new station, sticking the device into it, a whirring coming from it for a few minutes before he walked back over to his desk, pressing the intercom. "Come in here, Kiddo."

Within seconds, the young secretary was in the office, the massive doors closing behind him. "Sir?"

"Come," He demanded, and just as the word left his mouth, the boy made his way up, glancing sheepishly at Rhys and Adelia. "What's the code?" Jack asked, glancing at Rhys.

"4391," He responded, sharing a confused glance with Adelia, who just shrugged her shoulders.

"Type the code in, Kiddo. I don't have all friggin' day," Jack said, looking at the secretary.

"B-but, sir-"  
"Are you giving me, Handsome _Goddamn_ Jack, an attitude?" He said, slamming his hands against the desk, making Adelia jump in fear, Rhys standing up to catch her in his arms.

"Jack-"  
"Ah-tut-tut, shush," He continued, holding a hand up to Rhys, who just scowled, holding a shaking Adelia close to his chest. "Do it," He continued, staring down the kid. Quietly, the kid hesitantly complied, typing in the code, starting to materialize. "If you live, call my ECHO." Fear crossed the secretary's face as he completely vanished, Jack turning to a glaring Rhys holding a trembling, terrified Adelia. "Shit, I completely forgot," He said quietly, his stern face falling as Rhys tightened his grip on her. "I'm sorry, Pumpkin-"

"Don't," Rhys said, cradling her head close to his chest, not wanting Jack to see her crying from it - though, he had seen it before when he tried the crop on her. Jack didn't mean to upset her, and she knew it, but she couldn't stop the flashbacks of Katagawa smacking her over and over with the blunt of his gun, amused by her healing. Falling back in his chair, he rubbed his eyes, the fear from her riding up his spine. He really scared her. Along with that and the crop upsetting her, he couldn't keep his blood from boiling, wondering just _what_ Katagawa had done to her in that short amount of time. Jack had seen her go through the traumatic relivings of it over the past few days, but to Rhys, it was new, and that worried him. She slowly wrapped her arms around Rhys, squeezing him lightly, his scent calming her down rather quickly. She sniffled, smiling when he squeezed her protectively - she had missed him holding her like this, and honestly, he missed feeling her warmth on him, as well.

She looked up at him, feeling Jack's anger radiating up her spine while Rhys's worry crept up not far behind, seeing him smile down at her, his cybernetic hand lightly wiping away her tears. "It's okay, Baby," He whispered to her in a hushed tone, Jack tapping his pen impatiently against the desk, waiting for the secretary to call him back- despite being a total bitch about exposing Adelia, this one was actually a decent secretary. She shivered at his cold touch, giving him a small smile, cupping his cold, metal hand with her warm one. Rhys had similar thoughts as Jack, only, he wasn't sure if it was something Katagawa did or if it was something Jack did.

"I missed you," She whispered to him, running her thumb over his metal knuckles. Unlike the Hyperion model he had, this one was more human-like. The hand looked more like a hand than a square, the fingers looked and moved more fluidly, and the arm looked similar to his other arm.

"I missed you, too," He whispered back to her, his gaze shifting off of her as Jack's ECHO started to ring, a grin coming to his face. He had primarily coded the device, so if this was the secretary, then that meant he did it.

Jack accepted the call, looking at a disheveled secretary in the hologram. "T-there's this woman here who's overly angry and trying to k-kill me!" The young man screamed out, ducking as a woman with blueish-green tips on dark brown hair came across the scream, cussing at him. Instead of saying anything, Jack just glanced at Rhys.

"Lorelei!" Rhys called out, the woman stopping, looking around at the hologram. Jack pressed a button, the hologram turning toward Rhys. "Leave him alone."

"Rhys, you bloody wanker!" Her accent rang out in Jack's office, Jack arching a brow. "You get up and leave at the asscrack of dawn, send this pretty city boy here, and tell me nothing?!" She exclaimed, wagging the coffee scoop at the camera, her eyes finally seeing Adelia in his arms. "Oh, you wanker, you were gettin' laid. Congrats on gettin' it up, mate."

"Okay! I'll be back soon!" Rhys said, Jack nearly falling out if chair in hollering laughter, Adelia covering her mouth, trying not to laugh. 

"Oh, I like her, Rhysie," Jack said as Rhys hung up the call, groaning loudly. "I've got to hear how you two met and how she started to work for you one day."

"Yeah, yeah," Rhys responded, his cheeks a bright red, hearing Adelia giggle against his chest. "Damn, Addy, you too?"  
"I'm sorry, she just talks funny," She said through her giggles.

"Let's _go,_ " He sighed hopelessly embarrassed. Releasing his grip on her, he walked over to the fast travel station, hearing Jack's snickering next to him, scowling at him. Punching in the code, he looked at her and the older male, waiting on them. "Well? What are we waiting for?"

She hummed, fighting back a grin as she made her way over to the fast travel, Jack resting his hand against her back, steadying her swaying movements that Rhys was too embarrassed to notice - thankfully. Once they were close to him, she reached out, grabbing his hand lightly, feeling him relax a bit under her touch. Pressing the confirm code, the three of them dematerialized.

* * *

_**On Promethea...** _

The three of them materialized, seeing Lorelei holding the young secretary in a headlock, demanding answers from him. "Lorelei! Jesus!" He said in exasperation, Lorelei glancing up at the three of them.

"What? He won't answer me," She responded, releasing her hold on him, the boy falling to the ground, coughing. "So you're Rhys's business partner," She continued, looking at Jack. "And you're..."

"My girlfriend," Rhys said, Jack practically glaring holes into his head. "...Our, girlfriend," He corrected himself, shifting under Jack's glare, his left arm wrapping around Adelia's waist, causing her to blush a bright crimson.

"Yeah, I'm Handsome Jack," He said, digging in his vest, pulling out a wad of cash before tossing it to the secretary. "Walk it off, Kiddo, thanks for your help. I'll see you back at the office," Jack said, chuckling in amusement at the secretary who was wheezing, struggling to get up. 

"This is fucking insane," the boy wheezed under his breath, but took his cash, staggering over to the fast travel station, punching in Helios's code.

"Well, I've heard from two of ya, but not her," Lorelei said, pointing her scoop she was using seconds ago as a weapon toward Adelia. "How do I know she's not a bloody spy?"

Now that it had been a while, her legs were feeling better, so being the cocky girl she was, Adelia walked around Rhys's office, not saying a word while Jack and Rhys both watched her in anticipation and worry - mostly Rhys was worrying. "How _do_ you know I'm not a spy?" She said in her whimsical voice, Jack biting back a laugh why Rhys groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Let's see," She started, running her fingers against the wall as she walked. "About two years ago, Jack announced the reopening of Atlas," She started. "And by his side, was me. And Rhys," She paused, shooting him a grin, Jack now roaming around the giant office. Rhys definitely took inspiration off of his, given the giant windows, but it wasn't nearly as massive. "Took care of me after there was a failed assassination attempt on Jack almost three years ago."

"That doesn't tell me anything," Lorelei said, folding her arms across her chest.

Adelia hummed, having made her way to the taller female, staring up at her with a grin. "Then, how about I share a secret with you?" She asked, Jack picking up a prototype, looking at it while Rhys made his way to them, ready to step between them. "I'm far older than you, even if you think I'm not. Maliwan is after me."

"Rhys," The other female said, looking at him for verification.

"It's true," Jack said, setting the prototype back down, moving onto the next one. Unlike Hyperion's clean-cut ones, Atlas's were small and round, but definitely light. "Besides, that's the co-CEO of Hyperion and Atlas you're talkin' to, Cupcake."

"Heh, yeah..." Rhys finally said, rubbing the back of his neck with his cybernetic hand. "She is."

" _She's_ the co-CEO? You made her out to be this amazing person, but all I see is a smart-assed brat."

Jack halted in his movements, as did Rhys. Adelia's grin only grew wider as her markings became visible. "Addy, don't-"  
Before Rhys could finish, Adelia had the taller female pinned against the wall with a similar chokehold as she had done on the secretary. "Let me make something clear," She said, Jack walking over to her, ready to stop her. "I won't tolerate disrespect from _you_."

"A Siren?!" Lorelei gasped out, Jack and Rhys grabbing both of Adelia's arms, breaking her hold on Lorelei, Jack taking her away from the room, feeling her anger. 

"Clear it up, Champ," He called out to Rhys, the door to the office shutting behind them.

Rhys had plugged a cord into the port in his head, selecting the night that Jack announced Adelia as the co-CEO of Hyperion and the soon to be Atlas. It was easier to show Lorelei than to explain it to her. "-Every King needs a Queen, so with this Gala, I'm announcing that not only is Atlas coming back under Hyperion, but Miss Adelia here will be my, and Atlas's co-CEO," Timothy's voice rang out in the office, Lorelei squinting at how Adelia looked, Rhys stopping the recording before the shooting happened.

"Alright, so if that's the bloody co-CEO, where has she been?" She asked, watching Rhys unplug the wire from his head. She still was in doubt, but given that Rhys said it was her, and some of her features did line up with her current ones, she'd give her boss the benefit of the doubt.

"I can't explain that," He responded, the cord going back into the red chair. 

She rubbed her face in exasperation, slamming her hands down on the desk. "Then why did you never bloody think to inform any of us that she was, I don't know, a bloody Siren?!"

He shifted his bi-colored gaze up to the female, drumming his fingers against the desk. "It's safer if fewer people know. Katagawa has been after her for nearly three years because he knows what she is. That's probably why he's attempting to declare war on us-"

"Why can't we just give her to them? She's a Siren, she can handle herself," She cut in, cutting him off.

Rhys felt his anger boiling over. That'd be a suicide mission. "There's more to her than you know, and I'd appreciate it if you'd butt out of that," He said, his hands slamming against the desk. "Now that she's back, she'll be coming in and out quite frequently, and I expect that you'll respect her." It wasn't a lie, Adelia would be coming in and out a lot, especially with Rhys residing here. 

"How can you expect to lead a company if you keep secrets?" She argued back.

"I've done just fine so far, haven't I?!" He shot back, his anger definitely reaching a boiling point now. It didn't help that she was equally as pissed from the blatant disrespect shown to her. "Look," He started after taking a deep breath, calming himself. "Whether you agree or not, she's not going anywhere, and I'd hope you have enough respect for me to not run around telling others she's a Siren."

"So you just want me to accept that she was gone for two bloody years, then comes in with Handsome Jack attached at her waist, and you not far behind?"

"That's a very detailed way of putting it, but yes," Rhys said, shaking his leg under his desk. He was furious still, but he knew Lorelei was only acting in the best intentions of the people of Promethea. "She may not have been around for two years, but my feelings for her haven't changed," He half-lied. His feelings for her had only grown when she was gone. He had his marking lightly tattooed, but nothing major, just a few little accents here and there on it, making it look intentional. Sure, she was close to Jack right now, but she also was close to him, the way she gripped him when Jack scared her gave him that much information.

Lorelei threw her hands up, storming out of the office without another word. She'd have to accept Adelia, but she needed time, and right now, she really just wanted coffee.

_**AN: Smut.** _

Jack had left to explore Promethea a bit, scouting out areas and making sure Rhys was following (somewhat) in his footsteps, leaving her with Rhys. "You shouldn't have done that," He chastised her, her hands running down the back of his shirt, grazing his marks. There was a dull warmth coming from her touch, signaling that she was very lightly taking energy from him, but she huffed.

"I lost my temper," She mumbled, sliding her hand away soon after. She still needed more, but the little bit she had taken would keep her out of stasis again. It also didn't help that she felt her ovulation cycle fastly approaching, her cheeks flushing slightly under his stare. "I'll be more careful," She promised him, moving both of her hands to his cheeks, cupping them gently. He sighed, sliding his hands under her shirt slowly, her body shivering from the cool, cybernetic touch of his.

"What am I gonna do with you, Baby?" He asked her in a hushed tone, smiling up at her. He could feel her cycle approaching and there was no doubt that Jack also felt it, he just didn't know what it was - the overpowering need to be with her constantly, that feeling of lust and want from her, but most of all, that flustered feeling. "How long do we have?" He asked, keeping his brown and honey gaze on her, his hands slowly creeping further up her shirt, her entire body flooding in goosebumps from the cool touch.

"Could be today. Maybe a few days. A week, at most," She answered, a quiet moan coming from her when he gripped her breasts, the cold touch making her rosy buds harden nearly immediately. Slowly pulling her shirt off of her, he set it on his desk, his hand leaving her for a brief moment, pressing the lock button to his doors. He could see the faint bruises Jack had left on her neck and chest and felt a need to leave his own, his tongue licking his lips slowly. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her, her hips slowly beginning to grind against his steadily growing erection. 

"Fuck, I've missed you, Baby," He whispered to her, his hands caressing her sides, admiring her as he pressing his lips against her stomach, slowly leaving soft kisses up to her breasts, her body flooding with goosebumps with each kiss.

"I've missed you, too, Baby," She whispered back, running her hands through his hair, meeting his gaze for a moment, before she tilted her head back, a hushed moan coming from her when his mouth took her right nipple in it, giving it a harsh suckle. She had a feeling this was going to happen the second they were alone, and she was glad she was right.

"Wait," He breathed out, releasing her hardened bud. "Not here. I want to enjoy you properly," He whispered to her, grinning when her body trembled against him in anticipation, his hands sliding under her thighs as he stood up, carrying her off to the small room just out of his office. She knew he probably wouldn't last long - Jack hadn't either -, but the fact that he still wanted to make sure she was comfortable made her over the moon.

There wasn't much in here aside from a large bed, a dresser, a television, and a small bathroom off to the side, but she didn't have time to look around as he kissed her passionately, laying her back in the bed, his hands already finding the waistband of her leggings, pulling them down slowly. "So eager," She whispered to him when he broke their kiss, pulling his multiple layers off of him with ease, leaving them on the floor in a pile. Her eyes ran over his marking, seeing that he had barely covered it - just added in a few circles, triangles, and a small design branching up his chest, a warm, fuzzy feeling in her stomach, seeing that he did his best to leave it as it was. He smiled down at her, feeling the joy radiating up his spine, slowly crawling on top of her.

"I missed you too much to not be eager," He whispered back to her, his lips hovering close to hers.

"I missed you more," She spoke to him in a hushed tone, smiling when they met in a sweet, feverish kiss, both of them expressing their love for one another in their kiss. Gripping her side with his left hand, he let his fingers graze against her warm skin, stopping only when he reached her breast, his hand grasping it lightly, pinching her nipple between his index and middle fingers, a faint moan escaping her. She moved her hips against his erection, taunting him back, a groan of his own coming from his chest, his hips thrusting against her teasingly, when suddenly, the overpowering feeling of want hit him, her body shuddering beneath him as she entered her ovulation cycle.

"Addy?" He asked her softly, his eyes gazing down at her flushed face, her breathing rough and ragged already.

"I-it's okay," She answered him, her hands wrapping around his neck, pulling him closer to her in a lustful kiss this time, his erected girth throbbing in his pants, feeling her lust for him, and him alone currently, creep up his back.

"W-wait," He said, breaking his kiss from her, chuckling at her whine of protest. He slowly slid off of her, reaching into the dresser to pull out a condom, setting it down next to them in the bed again, his hands pulling her leggings off with ease, dropping them into the pile. Normally, he'd build her up, but he couldn't stop himself as he undid his belt and pants, letting them fall, shoving his boxers down soon after, tearing the condom wrapper open with his teeth. He needed to be inside of her. She was pulling him to her, calling him, without even uttering his name. 

After he put the condom on, he mounted her again, running his length along her soaking slit, her moans only furthering his need for her. She was blinded by her lust right now, and he wasn't far behind. "H-hah, please," She begged out, grinding her delicate area against his tip. "Please make love to me, Baby," She continued to beg, his body shuddering at her words. She had asked him to 'fuck' her before, but he corrected her, saying he 'made love to her, not just mindless fucking'. Not even a moment later, he slowly penetrated her, watching as her back arched, her hands gripping his arms tightly as she moaned his name out, a hushed moan of his own escaping his lips. He had forgotten how tight she was, and her throbbing muscles squeezing him didn't hesitate to remind him.

"You're so tight," He breathed out, moving his hips slowly, thrusting his entire length inside of her tight hole, her hands gripping his arms tighter, another moan coming from her, her legs wrapping around his waist, pulling him deeper inside of her. He breathlessly moaned out her name, gradually beginning to rock his hips in and out of her, his lips taking their rightful place on her neck, peppering her skin with sweet, gentle kisses, before he bit down on her neck harshly, giving it a firm suckle, leaving a dark bruise on her skin. He needed to mark her again - his desire was too strong. Once he was satisfied with that one, he moved down just a tad, giving her another one, but instead of whimpering, she just moaned, her hands slowly sliding around his back, gripping it lightly, each moan growing louder than the last as his hips began to pick up their aggression, but this only encouraged him, each kiss on her neck and chest leading to another mark, but at first, she didn't mind. She missed feeling him inside of her, but it certainly didn't help matters any that her ovulation cycle hit before they even fully began, but he didn't seem to be complaining, and neither would she, her head tilting away from his as she shuddered beneath him, her legs squeezing him lightly, her fingers lightly grazing against his marking, leeching a bit more off of him, but not a lot. That would come later. 

Feeling him leave another mark on her, she whimpered, her hands moving up to grip his hair. He had marked her at least ten times now, and her neck and chest were throbbing as a result, his hips only thrusting faster when she pulled his hair, his lips capturing hers in a loving, but lustful, kiss, moans coming from both of them. Breaking their kiss, his lips took in her left nipple this time, his left hand firmly grasping her right breast once again, his tongue dancing around her areola, taunting her rosy bud, her body shuddering beneath him as she neared her orgasm, her inner walls clamping around him as her hands gripped his shoulders, leeching more from him when her palm pressed against his marks, her back arching, moaning his name out loudly. Feeling her clamp around his girth, he picked up his aggression, standing upright to pump his hips against hers harder, both of his hands grasping her soft breasts, the cold metal making her shudder, both from pleasure and from how cold it felt.

"Cum for me, Baby," He cooed down at her, watching as her body convulsed slightly, leaning down to capture her lips with his own in a heated kiss, both of her hands gripping his back again, her nails barely breaking past his skin as she broke their kiss, screaming out his name as she reached her climax, his thrusts staying rough as he felt her legs grip his hips harder, her grip tightening on him briefly before it relaxed, hushed moans coming from her as she opened her grey eyes, meeting his bi-colored, brown and honey ones, his hips roughly pumping through his own climax as he moaned her name out in a hushed tone, panting heavily as he stilled his hips, filling his condom. Not wanting to risk his seed spilling out, he pulled himself out carefully, tying a knot on the condom and discarding it in the garbage can next to his dresser. He flopped down next to her, turning his head to look at her, seeing her drifting in and out of sleep already. "Baby," He whispered to her, seeing her look up at him sleepily, struggling to keep her eyes open. "Let's get you dressed, first." He sat up soon after, digging in the dresser for the red shirt he loved to see her wear, watching as she sat up slowly, grunting a bit under her breath. She was still weak, and he knew it, but she did seem to be gaining her strength back slowly. He balled his shirt up, carefully (and clumsily), sliding her arms through it, hearing her giggle at his struggle of getting her head through the hole.

_**AN: Smut over.** _

"I got it," She murmured, pulling it down over her head, pulling her hair out the back of it, watching as he grabbed her leggings next, sliding them over her feet, holding his hands out to her, which she gladly took, smiling up at him when he helped her stand, steadying her when she bent down, pulling her leggings up. He would've helped her, but she beat him to it. "Thank you, Baby," She said, standing back up, sliding her arms around his neck. "I love you," She whispered to him, giving him a sincere smile.

"I love you, Baby," He whispered back to her, guiding her back to the bed, despite her huffs of protest. "I have to get dressed," He said, cupping her cheek with his right hand, her body shivering from the cool touch.

"Do you have to?" She whined, slowly pulling her hands away from his neck, running her hands down his arms. She was satisfied. For now. It was only a matter of time before she lost her grip again, and they both knew it.

"I do have work to do," He chuckled, giving her forehead a gentle kiss, stepping out of her arms, grabbing his piles of clothes, putting on his Atlas boxers, followed by his grey jeans, then his white shirt, putting on his belt quickly, chuckling at her dozing off sitting up, watching him. "You can sleep, Baby. I'm just gonna be right outside."

"No," She protested, looking at him. "I want to spend time with you," She said, a grin growing over his face again. She was so adorable.

He slid his vest on, sliding his cybernetic arm under her thighs, lifting her up when she wrapped her arms around his neck. 

* * *

_**A few hours later... (1:00 PM)** _

"So, what do you want to do?" Rhys asked, his gaze shifting to Jack. Adelia had woken up briefly to eat a snack but had fallen back asleep against him soon after. Jack had spent the majority of the day walking around Promethea, checking out the base Rhys had built, which, surprisingly, wasn't that bad, considering it had only been two years. Of course, when her ovulation hit, it aggravated him and he half wondered how Rhys could even tolerate it - that overbearing sense of want, the need to be near her, and not to mention, the way his mind clouded up. He couldn't even form a decent thought for longer than a few minutes.

"Well," He started, resting his hands against the back of the chair. "You've done a good job securing everything, but the fact remains that your army is small. Even if I send Hyperion troops over, I don't think it'd edge Maliwan into giving us back whatever his name was."

"Zer0, Jack. His name is Zer0," He responded, pinching the bridge of his nose, feeling her shift against him, but still, she remained asleep.

"Yeah, yeah, him," He responded, waving his hand. His thoughts were scattered, extremely uncommon for him since he knew what he was going to do before he did it, but since she was sleeping right now, he did have a better train of thought than he did earlier. "Either way," He continued, releasing the chair. "I think you need to stay with me until we can find him. We both know what can happen if something happens to you."

Rhys stayed quiet. Jack was right, if something did happen to him, it could lead to Adelia's death. It also didn't help that she hit her ovulation cycle at the peak of all this. If he was going to keep Atlas under control and help locate Zer0, he couldn't stop what he was doing to tend to her every few hours, especially with Lorelei or his guards coming in and out all day. He honestly didn't know how Jack dealt with it - Jack barely had anyone come in and out of his office, but, then again, Jack was more of a 'dictator' over Hyperion. People were scared of him. They weren't scared of Rhys, and he really didn't want them to be.

"Plus," Jack added on, snapping Rhys out of his thoughts. "We need to take into consideration how everyone ogled her _last_ time she was in this," He paused, motioning to her, "state. They didn't mess with her because I was around her, but, and I mean this earnestly, Kiddo, you're not very terrifying." 

Rhys chuckled, tapping his metallic fingers against his chair. He couldn't be offended. Jack was right. "Alright," He said, "But we're taking turns sleeping with her," He continued, watching Jack cross his arms across his chest. They had done that before, so it wasn't a _big_ deal, but he still had to get used to sharing her all over again. When Adelia shifted against Rhys, both of them stiffened, the lust hit both of them like a freight train, though she seemed to be fine, her grey eyes opening slowly. 

Rubbing her eyes sleepily, she sat upright on Rhys's lap, huffing quietly, feeling both of their eyes on her, but she had other things on her mind right now. "I'm hungry," She announced to them sleepily, her stomach growling in agreeance, both of them letting out a soft chuckle. Jack glanced down at his ECHO band, slowly getting used to the feeling since she didn't seem to be in full-on... heat? Lust? He wasn't sure how to describe it, but she wasn't in that hard of a mood yet, not like she was earlier. 

"It is our lunchtime," He said, glancing at Rhys, who was just sitting there, smiling up at her. He'd comment on it, but he was pretty certain he had done the same when she had first woken up again, and right now, he really didn't have the patience to hear the two of them team up on him. "Wanna head home, then, Pumpkin?" He asked, Rhys's smile falling. 

"We could just go eat around here," Rhys said, shooting a glare to Jack.

"There's literally nothing here but fast food," Jack argued back, Adelia holding her head in her hands. It was too soon for her to listen to them bicker. "Besides, you'll be coming to my place tonight." She stiffened. Did she hear that right?

"What?" She asked, lifting her head up out of her hands.

"Jack and I decided it'd be best if I moved back in with him until we can figure out what Maliwan is up to," He said, watching as she turned to look at Jack for confirmation, a small smile coming across her lips when he nodded, verifying. "Addy, Baby, you don't trust me?" He asked, grinning when she giggled.

"You know I trust you, Rhysie," She teased, slowly sliding off of his lap. "But, I do agree with Jack. You know I'm not a fan of fast food," His grin fell, letting out a sign. He knew she wasn't, she only ate it if she had to. "Besides, you'll see me tonight, plus," She leaned close to him, Jack arching a brow. "If I get into a... 'mood', you can't exactly lock your doors constantly," She whispered into his ear, Rhys's face turning a bright crimson as he cleared his throat, looking over at her with a devious smile.

She had a point there, as well. The evenings were the busiest times for him.

"Alright," He finally whispered to her, cupping her cheek with his left hand, smiling up at her. "Then I'll see you when I'm off, Baby. I love you."  
"I'll see you then, don't work too long," She responded, giving him a sweet kiss, grabbing Jack's shirt from his desk. "I love you," She said back to him, slowly moving away from him, walking over to Jack, who had been so polite as to not interrupt them. He wanted to, but he knew better. It wasn't like before. Rhys gave a small wave to their backs, watching as Jack wrapped his arm around her shoulder, punching in the code for his house, both of them dematerializing.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has violent talk of abuse. I will post a TW before it begins.

_**On Helios... (1:24 PM)** _

As Adelia and Jack materialized in front of the secretary's desk, she couldn't help but cover her mouth, seeing the young male laid out over the table, groaning from his traumatic entrance earlier.

"I don't pay you to lounge around, Chad," Jack said, his voice booming in the corridor, the male lifting his head to look at Jack.

"Sir, my name is Blake..." He started, watching as Jack waved his hand.

"Okay, Luke," Jack responded, Blake's head hitting the desk again, causing Adelia to giggle. Jack was purposely screwing with him and she knew it, but it was still slightly amusing to watch.

"Be nice," She said, patting Jack's arm lightly. She still hadn't hit a high cycle again, and, since it was the first day, it was very mild, plus, she wasn't super close to the young boy, and based on how exhausted he looked, it wouldn't have had much of an effect on him. "He was chased around with a coffee scoop," She continued to say, seeing Jack roll his eyes, Blake slowly picking his head up to glance at her, taking in her fair skin from afar. He had hardly heard her speak or seen her around much in his five years at Hyperion, only catching her in passing with Rhys before he got promoted here. For the longest time, he thought she was with Rhys, not Jack. But she's with both of them, apparently. He wasn't sure how that worked since Jack had made it clear he didn't share - she must've been one hell of a catch.

"Yeah, and I gave him a giant wad of cash to get over it," Jack argued back, glancing down at her, shooting a glare to the young man, forcing him to shift his gaze from Adelia quickly.

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Cash doesn't change the fact that he probably thought he was going to die," She argued back, catching a hint of sass with Jack now, making Blake shift his eyes back over to the two of them, seeing them face each other, Jack staring down at her with a smirk while she stood across from him, her arms crossed over her chest. He blinked, nobody could sass Handsome Jack and get away from it, so why was Jack smirking? "I mean, honestly, if it had been you in that position-"

"I would've killed her," He cut her off, shrugging with a lazy smirk. "Nobody kills the King, Baby."

"You-," She huffed, her cheeks flushing at his nickname, which only made his smirk grow. He always knew how to fluster her. Blake just sat there, watching them argue, fairly certain neither one of them was even aware of his existence anymore. "Okay, so let's say you did kill her. What would you have done about Rhys, then? That was his secondhand."

"I'd just send one of the mercenaries from here," Jack responded without missing a beat, chuckling when she rubbed her face with her hands.

"You're insufferable."

"You love it."

"Shut up," She murmured, her face turning redder, breaking her gaze from his heterochromatic one.

"You two are entertaining to watch," Blake finally piped up, both of them freezing, glancing over at him. They completely forgot he was here.

"Go to lunch and cancel all my meetings," Jack ordered, pointing to the elevator at the end of the corridor. Blake quickly gathered his wallet and swiftly left, feeling the annoyance radiating from Jack. He already ate lunch, but if Jack told him to go to lunch again, he was going to go to lunch again. "Fuckin' little shit, eavesdropping." 

"To be fair, we did forget he was here," She said, reaching her hands up to cup his face, grinning up at him. "Speaking of lunch, though, I'm hungry."

Jack hummed, grinning down at her. "Let's go eat lunch then, Kitten," He whispered to her, wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest as he punched in the code to his house, both of them dematerializing. 

_**At Jack's... (2:45 PM)** _

Adelia had taken a quick shower not long after coming in, saying she didn't get a chance to fully clean herself last night because "somebody kept her occupied". She had slipped on her boyshorts, wearing one of Jack's yellow Hyperion shirts again, placing her (Rhys's) red shirt in with the rest of the laundry. Honestly, Jack preferred the yellow shirt on her instead of the red one, yellow was his favorite color after all. Jack was in the middle of dressed, still wearing his jeans as he moved around the kitchen, cooking the bacon for their BLTs, but his shirts were discarded with the laundry bots and his mask was returned to the stand in his bedroom.

_**AN: Smut** _

After they had eaten, Jack put on a movie for her to watch while he tended to his emails. She had been strangely quiet, not really saying anything as she said next to him, both of her legs up on the couch, her head resting against her knees, watching the movie quietly. Suddenly, he felt a feeling of lust wash over him, his eyes glancing over to see her bright crimson face, his eyes locking on her chewing on her lip.

"Kitten?" He asked, seeing her shift her grey eyes over to him. "You alright there?" He knew she wasn't, but she was clearly trying to fight it.

"No..." She murmured, closing her eyes, trying to fight it off. She was hungry, in more ways than one - lust and she needed her energy -, and she knew she had been leeching off of Jack a lot the last few days. She didn't want to make him too weak. She opened her eyes when Jack slid his arms around her, one hand under her thighs and the other on her back, carrying her off to the bedroom. "Jack, I've taken too much already-"

"Hush, Honey," He whispered to her seductively, her body shivering from her nickname, a sultry smirk on his face as he opened the door with his foot, playfully tossing her into the bed, his hands immediately finding the waistband of her boyshorts, pulling them down.

"W-wait," She stammered out, covering herself with her hand, seeing him arch a brow at her. "Are you sure..?" She asked, breaking her gaze away from his. She didn't want to put him in harm's way by taking too much from him too close together.

"Kitten," He cooed to her, slowly climbing on top of her, keeping his knee positioned between her legs, his left hand cupping her chin, her grey gaze shifting back to his. "There are plenty of positions I can put you in so you can't touch me," He whispered to her, "I just let you stay in the usual one since you make the sexiest of faces," He continued, sending shivers running up her spine, her legs relaxing slightly, allowing him to move his knee further up. Leaning down, he pressed his lips against her jawline, gradually, and harshly, kissing down her neck, darkening the bruises he left on her the previous night, each one earning him a shuddering whimper, feeling her lust creep up his spine.

She had no other protests as he moved off of her, tugging on the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head and tossing it onto the floor once she complied by sitting up, her grey eyes gazing up lustfully at him. Crashing his lips against hers, he chuckled at her whimpering moan, her arms slowly wrapping around his neck, her hands sliding in his hair as she returned his hungry kiss with one of her own. Gripping her sides with his calloused hands, he lazily caressed her sides, her body shuddering from his touch, every part he touched feeling like it was on fire - but in a good way -, a faint moan coming from her when he made his way to her breasts, firmly groping her. Breaking their kiss, both of them panted heavily, both of their gazes locked.

She slid her arms down his arms slowly when he started to pull away from her, a quiet chuckle coming from him as an idea crept to the back of his mind, his eyes glazing over her naked, curvy body. "Touch yourself, Kitten," He demanded out, her face turning even more crimson if that were even possible.

"W-what?" She asked, staring up at him with wide eyes.

"I said," He started, moving close to her again, cupping her chin with his right hand once again, keeping her face tilted up toward him. "Touch yourself for Daddy," He repeated himself, watching as she sheepishly broke her gaze from him. Now that he thought about it, he's never seen her touch herself. "Or," He mused, bringing his lips close to hers. "Do you not know how to?"

"I..." She started, her face flushing even more in embarrassment. She really didn't know how to. She never had the urge to really _do_ anything. Eridians would go into heat cycles before having a mate, but it would be a completely different level than what it is now - she never had to deal with it. Getting a mate changed it completely, it was meant to urge them into sexual activities while otherwise, it was just a mild nuisance, easily ignored; if anything, it just furthered the need to find one with the crushing loneliness. A completely opposite feeling of what it was now.

"My, my," He whispered to her, clicking his tongue in amusement at her hesitation. "So _my_ naughty Kitten doesn't even know how to please herself," He furthered his teasing, emphasizing on 'my', her face staying a heated crimson, staring up at him with wide eyes. He couldn't hide his amusement as he grinned down at her. Truly, she was quite innocent, even now. 

"I-it just feels better when you do it," She managed to mumble out, Jack arching a brow at her trying to save face. 

"Say that while looking me in the eyes," He whispered to her, staring down at her, watching as she bit her lip, hesitantly making eye contact with him. She opened her mouth, but no words came out, his cocky smirk growing across his lips again. "That's what I thought," He purred to her, moving to sit to the right of her, her eyes watching him sheepishly. "That's why I'll teach you," He murmured to her, taking her left hand in his right one, sliding both their hands between her legs, grinning when her breathing stopped for a brief moment, embarrassment flushing over her. "Y'know," He started, his lips pressing against her neck in an attempt to calm her down. "I think it's friggin' sexy you tried to hold your pride," He continued, pressing her index and middle fingers between her wet, lower lips, rubbing them slowly against her swollen, little button, hearing her let out a breathless moan, her eyes closing. Oddly, this was more intimate than he intended for it to be, but, she seemed to like it more than he thought she would, despite the powerful embarrassment she felt moments before.

"Lean back a bit, Kitten," He commanded to her in a gentle tone, grinning when she obeyed. Keeping his grip on her hand, he slowly slid her hand down, pressing both her fingers and his own against her entrance, her body trembling as she moaned a bit louder, "Now, relax," He instructed her, cautiously pushing her two fingers inside of her, grinning when she shuddered, a whimper coming from her. It felt weird for her to please herself, she was used to Rhys or Jack doing it for her, but she couldn't deny that she felt significantly aroused by his instructions. She was indulging herself so much, she hadn't even noticed Jack move his hand away from hers as she pumped her fingers in and out of her, a few hushed moans coming from her again. It wasn't their fingers, but it wasn't unpleasant either. 

Jack had carefully stood back up, making sure not to throw off her mood as he watched the (practically) Goddess in front of him please herself as per his request. Quietly, he slid to his knees, his heterochromatic eyes glancing up at her, watching as she slowly slid her fingers out, moving them to rub her clit again, a low chuckle coming from him as he grasped her thighs, a sudden gasp coming from her as she opened her eyes, feeling him pull her toward the edge of the bed, her hand being lightly slapped aside as his mouth took its place. She let out a shuddering moan as his tongue flicked against her button, her hips bucking upward with each flick, until he grasped her hips, holding her steady. "Ah-ah," He whispered to her, slowly licking his lips, showing her his canines in his devious grin. "I didn't tell you to move, now did I, Kitten?"

"N-no, Daddy," She breathed out, her breath catching in her throat again when his mouth took hold of her delicate button, feeling him suckling on it, her hands sliding into his hair, running through it as she tilted her head back, moaning out his name. Her back arched slightly, feeling him insert one of his fingers inside of her, fighting her urge to move her hips against him as he further taunted her clit, his tongue flicking back and forth against it while his finger began to thrust in and out of her, massaging her inner walls the way she loved. 

Releasing her button, he grinned up at her, licking his lips slowly before he opened his mouth, "You taste absolutely delicious, Honey," He purred to her, seeing her face heat up even more as she shuddered, gripping his hair lightly. Up until now, he never had the chance to directly taste her, and right now, he could punch himself in the face for putting it off for so long, but oral was just another thing he had sworn off after all the betrayals, mostly because it was far more intimate than he wanted to be with anyone. Until now. Just like the nicknames 'Honey' and 'Kitten'. He never used those names with anyone unless it was in passing and meant nothing, or if it was with his first wife. And now, seeing her melt just from those, especially Honey, made him want to use it all the more on her.

He could feel her walls clinging around his finger, hearing her moans grow louder, signaling her fastly approaching climax. Gradually, he slid his finger out of her, hearing her whine, her chest moving up and down as she panted slightly, out of breath ever so slightly. "Turn over once you catch your breath," He ordered, standing up, undoing his pants with ease, sliding them down while she watched, her eyes watching his arm muscles flex when he unbuttoned his jeans. Breaking her gaze from his toned stomach, she glanced up at his face, seeing his shit-eating grin plastered across his face. He caught her checking him out, something that was very rare to do.

"Do not," She stated breathlessly, only furthering the grin on his face.

"I'd check me out too, Kitten," He cooed to her, hearing her grumble to herself as she turned over, most definitely to hide her reddened face again. He'd never let her live this down, and she knew that. Her body shuddered when his hands grasped her hips, pulling them up. "Stay like this," He whispered to her, removing his right hand to grasp his girth, pressing it against her wet slit, moving it against her, a few quiet moans coming from her, her hips aching, wanting to move against him, but the firm grip on her hip prevented that. Once he was satisfied with how lubricated he was, he pressed the tip against her entrance, a low moan coming from him as he guided her hips back while he pushed his forward.

She whimpered when he buried himself to his hilt, the pleasure hiding a bit of pain - in this position, he hit her much deeper than before. He let out a low moan, feeling her walls grip his length firmly, grinning when he slid his length out of her a bit, before shoving it back inside of her, watching as her body shook, her hands grasping the duvet roughly, a loud moan coming from her. "Keep your hips up," He purred to her, leaning down, his stomach pressing against her back as both of his hands firmly gripped her hips, pulling them up again.

"Y-yes, Daddy," She murmured out, arching her back just right to keep her hips arched up with his hands, her body trembling when he began to move his hips once again, keeping a slow, but rough, pace allowing her time to adjust to this position.

"Good girl," He praised her, her face heating up from the praise, her body trembling with each deep thrust he made, mixtures of loud and breathless moans coming from her. He wanted to be rougher with her, but he knew better, she wasn't used to this position, and judging from her reaction, not even Rhys had done this with her before, making him be the first one to be in this position. He smirked at that realization. He enjoyed being her first to everything, and judging from how Rhys and her's relationship was earlier, Rhys didn't care to participate in the level of intimacy they held. That only further his excitement, his hips rocking faster against her, his left hand sliding down her body, wrapping around her throat, grasping it as she stammered his name out after every few thrusts, her head tilting back from his touch, being pulled back toward him, feeling her back pressing against his bare chest, his hips slamming in and out of her.

She closed her eyes as his grip tightened on her throat, her hands moving to grip his wrist, hearing his hushed moans against her ear, her muscles clinging to his girth, a familiar warmth building up in her stomach against. "P-please," She gasped out, his low chuckle against her skin forcing her to shudder, his lips pressing hungrily against the nook of her neck, his teeth grazing along her skin, bruising her.

"Cum for me, Kitten," He whispered against her ear, groaning when her muscles throbbed against his girth, her body shuddering while she climaxed from his words, her hands gripping his wrist harder as she let out a loud moan. Reluctantly, he lowered her back down, knowing that if he released her, she would've fallen, and he didn't want that. Giving a few more rough, deep thrusts, he pulled himself out of her, his right hand moving to grasp his girth, finishing himself off on her backside, a low moan coming from him through his tensed jaw, his seed covering her back, both of them panting heavily. Releasing his grip on her hip, he chuckled when she fell flat, holding her face in her hand, the realization of what he made her do settling in while he walked off to fetch a washcloth to clean her. 

_**AN: Smut over**_.

* * *

_**A few hours later... (7:50 PM)** _

Jack and Adelia had already eaten their dinner and were both sitting on the couch, waiting for Rhys to come in. Jack was flipping through the television channels, sipping on his red wine while she had her legs pulled up on the couch, playing on the new-new ECHO Jack had given her since he broke the old-new one he had given her the other day, trying not to fall asleep. She was still mildly flustered about Jack knowing she didn't know how to please herself, but he reassured her he wouldn't tease her about it, or at least he 'wouldn't bring it up that much', and kept telling her how sexy it was for her to let him teach her.

Her head nodded down slowly as she lost the game again, her eyes opening wide again, seeing Jack's amused grin watching her. "If you're tired, you need to go lay down, Kitten," He said, taking her ECHO from her.

"But-"  
" _Go,_ " He restated firmly, seeing her huff. "I'll join you when I finish my drink."

She sighed, standing up with a huff, making her way to his room, a soft chuckle coming from him at her attitude. Flicking his wrist to open his emails, he sent one to Rhys, stating she was going to bed and to pop his head in their door when he came home, sending it off. His watched beeped soon after with the response _'I'll be here another hour or two at least'_. Finishing off his wine, he stood up, setting his glass in the sink before wrapping the leftover chicken casserole in clingwrap, setting it in the refrigerator. Making his way to his bedroom, he closed the door behind him, grinning at her passed out on top of the blankets, one leg splayed upward, her arms hugging the pillow her head was on, giving him a gorgeous view of her ass.

"Pumpkin," He whispered to her, shaking her lightly, her eyes opening slowly to look over at him sleepily. "Scoot over." She whined quietly but slowly got on all fours, moving to her side of the bed, slowly edging underneath the blankets as he slid under them, lying on his back, holding his arm out to her. She shuffled over to him, resting her head against his chest, her arm wrapping around his torso while her leg draped over his, mimicking the position she had been in moments before, her body relaxing against his while she drifted off to sleep quickly. _So stubborn for someone so tired,_ He thought to himself, grinning at her sleeping form, opening his emails from his ECHO band.

After an hour passed, Jack rubbed his face, setting his ECHO band down on the nightstand, his arm pressing against her back, resting his hand against her waist, closing his eyes. He had intended to wait for Rhys, but, he was comfortable and found himself growing tired the longer he laid next to her, though, it probably didn't help that he felt such an intense feeling overwhelm him earlier, getting him all riled up. Then again later, when they were being intimate. Gradually, he drifted off into a light sleep.

An hour and a half after he dozed off, he woke up to the sound of the front door opening, his eyes squinting at the knocking on his bedroom door. Adelia had practically crawled on top of him and was clinging to him like a koala, her body shivering and cold to the touch, which, honestly didn't surprise him, it was fairly cold in the house. Letting out a groan, he carefully sat up, hearing her grunt against him, her hands moving to grip his back tightly, but she remained asleep. Carefully, he stood up, making his way to the door, opening it to see a very exhausted Rhys staring at him. "I'll put her in your bed," He said sleepily, carrying her into the other bedroom with Rhys following behind. Thankfully, Rhys showered before he came over here, carrying an Atlas bag in his cybernetic hand full of various clothes (and condoms) for both of them. Carefully, Jack squatted down, setting her against the bed, hearing her whine in his ear, a low chuckle coming from her. "Rhys is here," He whispered into hers, feeling her reluctantly pull her arms from around him, giving him a sleepy smile.

"Goodnight, Daddy," She whispered to him sleepily, giving his cheek a gentle kiss, Rhys arching a brow at his nickname.

"Do I want to-"  
"Nope," Jack said, cutting him off. That was between him and Adelia, not him, Rhys, and Adelia. He just shrugged at Jack's words. He was too tired to fight with him. He watched as Jack made his way out of the room, closing the door behind him, before slowly pulling his white shirt off, tossing it to the ground, climbing into the bed next to her, his wrapping arms around her tightly, breathing in that lavender scent he loved so much. He missed her more than he could ever vocally describe - the way she nuzzled against his chest brought butterflies to his stomach. He missed feeling her in his arms like this. He shuddered, feeling her arms wrap around him, gripping his back gently, her sleepy, grey eyes peeking up at him. But still, something remained off for him, something he couldn't place.

"Goodnight, Baby," She murmured to him, giving him one of those breathtaking smiles, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Goodnight, Addy," He whispered to her, moving his left hand up, softly cupping her cheek, bringing his lips to her in a gentle, sweet kiss, which she sleepily returned. Once they broke away, he closed his eyes, feeling her nuzzle close to him once again, her body relaxing as she quickly fell back into a deep sleep, him not far behind her.

It was no surprise that Jack couldn't fall back asleep, or at least, not into a deep one. Over the last week, he had grown used to sleeping with her, having her warmth against him, but he knew this was going to happen eventually; she'd go back to Rhys, yadda yadda, he'd be left alone, just like before, but he didn't want to accept that. Not yet. She came back to him once, she may stay around. Around four, he decided he had enough tossing and turning and threw the duvet off of him, opening the door to his bedroom, making his way to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. If he wasn't going to sleep, he may as well get work done and start formalizing a plan to stop Maliwan again. Sitting at the bar once he started the pot of coffee, he rested his head in his hands, rubbing his face tiredly. After a few minutes, he heard their door open, his hands moving off his face, arching a brow as an exhausted, fully-dressed Rhys rounded the corner.

"Jesus, Kiddo. Even I think it's too early for you to be up," Jack said, resting his hands against the bar.

"I don't exactly have a choice," Rhys responded, sitting down in the stool across from Jack, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

"Runnin' a company isn't as fun as you thought it would be, is it, Champ?" He taunted, smirking.

"Not with Maliwan constantly trying to start a war," Rhys responded, rolling his eyes at Jack's grin.

"Get used to it, Cupcake. It comes with running an empire," He retorted, chuckling when Rhys let out a loud groan, standing up.

"If you're just going to patronize me, I'm going to Promethea," He said, hearing Jack chuckle again.

"I'll have her call you before she fast travels to you, Kiddo," He responded seriously, seeing Rhys slowly nod.

"Thanks, Jack," He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. He had missed Adelia, but it just wasn't the same for him now. Sure, he had missed her in the heat of the moment yesterday, but when he held her yesterday and today, it just wasn't the same for him. He still felt attracted to her and he still cared about her, and he had hoped he'd still feel the same for her as he did before, but it just wasn't. But that could change. He hoped. Her whole disappearance had shaken him to the core and he had trouble getting her out of his mind the entire two years she was gone, and even couldn't commit to anyone, not even sexually, but now that he had her again, he just felt... Emptier than he remembered. Maybe he still wasn't okay sharing her, like he thought he was. Jack didn't seem to have an issue with it, so why did he? But then again... Maybe he just was scared she'd leave him again. He still didn't know what Katagawa had done to her to force her into stasis.

Jack kept his eyes on him, arching a brow. "What's that empty head of yours thinking about?" He questioned, grinning as Rhys sent him a glare. Rhys stayed quiet. If he told Jack what was on his mind, it probably wouldn't end well with him. Plus, his feelings could still revert, right? 

"Just wondering what I'm going to walk into," He finally answered quietly, adjusting his tie. Truth be told, he hadn't even woken her up before he got up. She didn't wake up when he moved away from her, either, so he wasn't sure how she'd react when she did wake up. He did feel bad, but, if his feelings weren't going to come back, there was no point in leading her on. Not until he knew for sure. They'd talk about it later.

"Cheer up, Kiddo. Ya got Handsome Jack on your side," He stated with a cocky grin. "Atlas is still a part of Hyperion, I got your back."

"Yeah, thanks," Rhys said, giving a slight grin before making his way out of the house, feeling Jack's eyes burning a hole into his back. Jack knew Rhys was lying. There was something deeper, he could see it on his face.

"Don't be an idiot, Rhysie," He mumbled to himself, standing up to fix himself a cup of coffee, sipping on it as he began to go through his emails from the night.

* * *

Adelia had woken up a few hours later, finding the bed empty and having no memory of Rhys waking her up, telling her he left. She was confused but had a feeling it was leading up to it. She could feel his heart wasn't into spending time with her yesterday. "I'm off," Adelia said to Jack, giving him a small smile as he turned in his chair, looking at her.

"Have a fun time, Kitten," He said, flashing her a grin before turning back to the video call. She's still technically in her cycle, but, surprisingly, today was extremely mild - usually not a good sign; but it wasn't uncommon for Eridian's mates to get self-conscious or have doubts about their lovers, it was just a matter of sitting down and talking things out, usually. The only time ovulation cycles eased up this early into it was if a marked one was having doubts, and, assuming she could fix things, it'd come back tenfold with a higher fertility rate soon after. Either way it went, Rhys's feelings mattered more to her than anything. He came first.

Typing in the code for Rhys's office, she dematerialized, on her way to Promethea.

_**On Promethea... (12:00 PM)** _

Opening her eyes once she rematerialized, she adjusted her red long-sleeve shirt. Rhys's office was much warmer than Jack's on Helios, but it still was a little chilly to her. Looking around his office, she frowned, seeing him nowhere to be found, which was strange, considering she had just called him maybe fifteen minutes previously. "Rhys?" She called out, cautiously walking toward the room he had brought her into yesterday. Knocking on the door, she watched as it slowly opened, her eyes widening, seeing him passed out in his bed with his arm wrapped around his pillow. She let out a sigh, smiling at how cute he looked. Quietly, she walked over to him, running her hand against his arm, leaning down to give his cheek a gentle kiss, before walking out, letting him sleep, taking a seat on the corner of his desk. She'd wait. He was tired.

Over the course of an hour, countless people came in and out, several begging for food, for jobs, for help with minor tasks, and one by one, she dealt with them in his place. She knew in the back of her mind he'd probably be furious with her, but that was okay, she'd deal with it when the time came. After last night, she had enough energy to help a little, so there she was, walking around the large city with a group of guards around her. She had visited farms outside the city, spreading some of her powers into the soil of the families sobbing about the lack of crops. They needed all the food they could get, especially with what was to come soon, and even then, it'd be a mild war compared to what was coming after. The entire city would be completely destroyed, maybe even sooner than what she had seen in her vision. Maliwan was making their move a lot earlier than anticipated, anything could happen since she altered the timeline. 

Thankful that she wore thick clothing, nobody could see the glow coming from her markings or from her hand once she buried it into the tilled soil time after time, telling them to just fertilize it further before planting the next round of crops in the spring. She couldn't really help anyone who wanted to inquire about a job, telling them to return later, once Rhys was back from his 'business trip, probably tomorrow', and sent a guard or two to help clean out some overrun places full of ratches. Now, she stopped at Fran's Frogurts, getting Rhys a cup of his favorite flavor - chocolate dill pickle. Thanking the cashier, she paid for his and some for the two guards who had escorted her around, humming along quietly as the guards led her back to Atlas Headquarters, no doubt judging her for the flavor she picked, but they still munched on their own.

"Jesus Christ, Addy, I was about to call Jack, I couldn't find you," Rhys said, standing up from his desk as she walked out of the elevator, gazing at him with an arched brow, the guards having gone back to their position once she stood in the elevator, taking it to the top floor.

"If I were in danger, you would've known," She responded, bringing his frozen yogurt over to him, setting it down in front of him. "Besides, people think I'm the co-CEO of Atlas, I do have to play the part a bit, don't I?"

"No, you don't," Rhys spoke lowly, sitting back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Adelia, you can't just come in and take charge like that," He said in an annoyed tone, glancing up at her.

"You were sleeping and people kept coming in," She shot back, her heart pounding in her chest, anxious about what was going to happen next. He never said her actual name these days unless he was extremely annoyed with her. "You looked so tired, I didn't want to wake you up over trivial things."  
"What if something happened to you? How would I explain that to Jack?" He asked, shifting his gaze to her, seeing her slightly flinch from his words. He was more worried about what Jack would do than her well-being, or at least, that's how it came off to her. 

Crossing one leg over the other, she wiggled her foot a tad, meeting his bi-colored gaze with her grey one. "Nothing happened to me. You can't worry about the 'what if's of the past," She began, keeping eye contact with him. "Jack wouldn't have hurt you, anyways."

"The hell he wouldn't have," He snorted, taking a bite of his frogurt. He was furious, but he couldn't turn down his favorite frogurt. "If you died or were taken, my head would be hung on the wall. I have a company to run now, I can't be playing games, chasing you everywhere," He argued, his anger finally hitting a boiling point. "You can't just up and leave for two fucking years then come back like everything's gonna be normal, Addy."

She smiled at him, but it wasn't a _smile_ , it was more of a, 'well, okay then', smile. "Are you that angry that I had to go into a stasis?" She asked softly, her smile falling.

He stayed quiet, eating on his frogurt, breaking his gaze from her. He was angry. Angry she left him alone those two years after promising to not leave him. How did he know she wasn't going to leave again? "I don't know," Was all he could say. A total lie. "I didn't ask for any of this."

" _I_ know," She murmured, staying in her spot. She wanted to hold him, but she didn't want to push her boundaries right now. He was too angry. "I told you before, if you ever had doubts, I wouldn't stop you from walking away."

"You say that like you _want_ me to walk away."

"I don't," She said without missing a beat, making eye contact with him, holding a firm stare. "But I know it can be a lot to deal with. I'm not going to force you to stay if you're unhappy, that's not who I am and you know that, Rhysie."

He tapped his spoon at the empty frogurt bowl a few times before he tossed both the bowl and the spoon in the garbage under his desk, leaning back in his chair to stare back at her. The fact that she was staying calm only pissed him off even further. "Then, I want out," He said flatly, regret instantly creeping up his spine as the words left his mouth, seeing the quick flash of hurt flicker over her face before it returned back to her calm composure. Only then, did he realize just how hard she was trying to keep it together. She wasn't showing any emotion because she wanted him to make an honest decision. She didn't want to influence him to stay, even at the cost of her own feelings.

"Is that really what you want?" She asked softly, the hurt present in her voice, despite her trying her damnedest to suppress it. She knew from the beginning that it could lead to this, but that didn't make her hurt any less.

"I don't know," He finally mumbled after a few minutes, tapping his cybernetic hand against the desk, breaking his gaze from hers. "What if it is? What happens then?"

She stayed quiet for a few moments, collecting herself. She didn't want him to stay out of pity for her. "The marks on the left side of your body would remain, but I would remove the failsafe mark. You wouldn't be able to feel me or my feelings anymore," She paused, collecting herself again. _But I'd still feel everything from you..._ She thought to herself, but she wouldn't tell him that. "I wouldn't be able to leech from you, even in passing. If I were seriously injured near you and needed to absorb some power, I wouldn't be able to. You wouldn't be able to feel my existence any longer," She paused again, clenching her jaw, trying to keep her emotions at bay. "You would go back to how you were before I came into the picture. Your bond to me would be shattered, essentially." He stayed quiet again. Did he want that? Did he _really_ want that? He closed his eyes, shaking his leg under the desk, envisioning life without her. A wife, maybe a kid or two. Probably still running Atlas under Handsome Jack's hand, but still. He'd still see her from time to time, too, but the wars wouldn't stop - he knew that. Jack had said that this morning. Strangely, this vision to him seemed... Depressing. He couldn't help but wonder, what if he regretted it once he backed out? What if the feelings remained? "If you decided you regret breaking the bond," She started again, his eyes opening to gaze at her, seeing her staring down at her hands, surprised at her practically reading his mind. "We wouldn't be able to form another strong one. Once it's broken, it's broken. We could try, but," She stalled, gazing up at him, biting back tears. "It'd never be the same."

His heart shattered in his chest, seeing the pain in her face. She was trying her best to hold it together, and the longer he sat here and calmed down, the more he felt regret for even feeling this way. She was only staying calm for him. She wanted _him_ to make the decision. She wasn't going to make it _for_ him, she wanted it to be all his choice. He could stare at her and see the pain, but he couldn't feel it. No doubt in his mind that she was hiding it away from him, not wanting to influence him, but she was. The fact that she'd go to this extent to make sure he made a choice he wanted only showed how much she cared for him, and that alone, made his heart pound in his ears, his gaze breaking from hers, staring down at the wood on his desk. He realized during this talk, he didn't want that. He was angry she left him, but he needed to accept the fact that it wasn't her fault. If anything, it was his. He turned her back to her for a split second and she was gone.

Finally, he shifted his gaze back to her. "What did Katagawa do to you that night?"

She stiffened, her grip on her emotions falling, all of the pain overwhelming him at once, the pain she was hiding from him while discussing this. It only furthered his decision to not leave, but he needed to know. "Rhys..." She mumbled, looking away from him. 

"Tell me," He said, leaning forward. "I need to know."

"Rhys, please-"

 _"Tell me,"_ He insisted again in a stern tone, seeing her flinch, his facade falling. "Please," He added softly. "I need to know what he did to you." It wasn't a lie. He needed to know what was so bad that she had to leave. He needed to know why she left him.

She stayed quiet, hesitantly leaning forward, cupping his hand with hers, the markings peeking out from under her shirt sleeve glowing slightly as visions of that night flooded into his mind.

_**AN: Abuse and detailed(?) gore. Everything from Adelia's POV will be in italics. Rhys's thoughts will not be.**_

_Hands wrapped around her mouth and waist, pulling her to a slender chest before they dematerialized, her struggling earning her a smack with the butt of the Maliwan pistol, nearly knocking her unconscious. Her wound quickly healed, but the pain remained, only for the pistol to be brought against her a few more times, a low, sadistic chuckle coming from behind her, one more, final smack coming harder across her head, knocking her unconscious._

_Coming to, her hands were bound above her head, the rope cutting circulation out of her hands, the cold breeze hitting her nearly naked body as she fought against the ropes, a loud bang echoing in the room making her jump. "Finally awake? Good," Katagawa's voice rang out, his hands holding a leather whip. Without further warning, he snapped the whip at her, breaking her skin on her back, causing her to let out a loud yelp of pain, followed by another whip, then another, and another, each one breaking her skin, her warm blood running down her back, each one healing slower than the last, slowly draining her of her powers. "The more you heal, the weaker you are, Siren," He said, giving her another harsh whip across her stomach, then again, just above the other spot. "It'd be foolish of me to not weaken you before I sell you. Blood is easy to wash off."_

Rhys yanked his hand away, his eyes growing wide as he panted, seeing her pained face as she slowly pulled her hand back, keeping her gaze from him. He knew she had been abused, but not to this extent. "Is that all?" He finally whispered out, his heart dropping again when she shook her head. "Show me the rest," He said, reaching his hand out to hers. She glanced at him, hesitantly taking his hand again, visions coming back to him.

_After Katagawa had his fun, he washed her off with cold water, making sure she was 'presentable' for when Jack called. "You know, this would've gone so much easier if you had just agreed to be my wife," He said, the two bandits untying her, letting her hit the ground, her wrists throbbing from the rope burns left from her squirming, her throat, sore from her screaming. "But, you making me a pretty penny works, too. Honestly, I probably would've ended up doing that after my old man croaked anyways," He continued on his rant, dismissing the guards. She shot him a glare, a dark chuckle coming from him as he squatted down, harshly gripping her chin. "I bet that pretty little mouth of yours could work wonders on me, but I'm not a monster. The bandits will do far worse to you once the sale is finalized. Such a shame, though. You have such an amazing body," He purred to her, making her shiver in disgust, her hands instinctively going to cover her breasts. Bringing his hand up, he harshly grabbed her black hair, tugging on it hard enough to nearly rip it out, his fist coming down on her face over and over, the taste of iron in her mouth, even coughing some out when he stopped, her wounds healing slower than before, but still healing. "Watching you heal over and over is so amusing!" He said, repeatedly breaking some of her fingers as she tried to defend herself with her hands._

_"Go to hell," She spat at him, blood hitting his face, forcing his brow to twitch in anger._

_"For someone who's not in control, you sure don't know your fucking place," He hissed, slamming her to the ground, kicking her in the stomach a few times before pulling out his pistol, shoving it against her shoulder. "How many times do I have to shoot you before you pass out? Let's find out," He spoke darkly, the cold, metallic metal shoving into her shoulder, forcing her onto her back. She opened her eyes, shooting him daggers once again. Firing the first shot through her shoulder, her ears rang from the loud bang, but she didn't cry out, her shoulder healing soon after. "One," He started, moving his pistol further down, pressing it against her left breast, sending off another fire, her lungs feeling like they were on fire as the bullet passed through one, collapsing it, the pain unbearable as she gasped out, the wound healing quickly, but she still had blood pour into her lung, drowning her slowly. "Two," He chuckled, enjoying her face twisting in pain, moving further down, firing a third shot directly under her ribs, the bullet going through her liver, blood rushing up her throat as she spit it out, gasping for air, as she shoved against him, the mixture of the blood in her mouth and burning still in her lung overwhelming her, her vision growing black. "Three," He counted, slapping her hand back, pressing his pistol against her stomach, firing the fourth round, even more blood coming out of her mouth as she cried out, tears running down her face. All of her powers were going to healing her body, she couldn't leech off of him or Phaselock him if she wanted to, and she really wanted to._

_"Oh, I have a wonderful idea," He mused, watching her turn over, spitting up the blood that had pooled up in her lungs before she was forcibly yanked back over by her hair, feeling the burning barrel pressing against the middle of her chest. "What happens if I shoot your heart?"_

_"N-no," She gasped out, her eyes wide as he fired off the fifth, and final shot, blood pouring out of her mouth as she fell limp beneath him, bleeding out around him, her heart, stopping as the bullet passed through it._

_"Huh, I guess I killed her," He said a few minutes later, dropping her to the ground, her head taking a considerable amount of trauma as it hit the hard, cemented ground, blood pouring out of her ears. Standing up, he kicked her limp body a few times. Seconds later, burning pain covered her entire body as she screamed out, her heart and brain slowly healing itself, but not saving her from the excruciating pain, tears streaming down her face as she screamed, her hands holding the wound as it closed, blood coming from her mouth when she turned over, vomiting it up. After the adrenaline rush finished, she passed out on the floor, next to the pool of her bloody vomit, the pain overwhelming her._

Rhys flinched, feeling the pain overwhelm him each time the bullet hit her. It wasn't nearly as severe as what she had felt, but he could feel the pain, the fear coursing through her. At that moment, he realized, she really _didn't_ have a choice but to go into stasis. Her heart stopping and restarting really had to have taken a lot out of her. After a few minutes, the visions started back again, neither of them saying anything to each other.

_When she woke up, she was cleaned of blood and vomit, and now dressed once again, her hands tied behind her back. "Such a shame you didn't willingly come with me the first time," Katagawa's voice rang out, his hand gripping her chin in his hand again, the two bandits slamming her to the ground. "Now, look at you, you're going to be used by bandits."_

_Despite her weak state, she glared up at him, "Jack's going to kill you when he finds you," She spat at him._

_**AN: Abuse over**_ _._

Her hand pulled away as she sat back in her chair, seeing him blink slowly, process everything he felt. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?" He finally managed to speak out, watching her fidget in her chair.

"It wasn't yours to deal with," She murmured, running her right thumb over her left knuckles, staring down at her hands.

"Addy, that's not something you can process on your own," He said, keeping his gaze on her. She had dealt with this all on her own, trying to process it. There was no wonder why she got so startled when Jack hit his hand on his desk.

"Why do you even care?" She shot back, growing a bit annoyed. Just minutes ago, he was talking about breaking their bond, now he was being sympathetic? "Literally minutes ago, you didn't even know if you wanted to stay my mate."

His face fell. She had a point. "I was angry that you left for two years and expected us to be the same after you were gone for so long," He retorted, standing up again, making his way over to her.

"Oh, so now you want to stay because you pity what happened to me?" She asked angrily, standing up to face him, though, she was quite a bit shorter than he was, but she still stood her ground.

"No, that's not-"  
"I did it because I _had_ to do it," She stated, shoving her finger against his chest, her anger only growing as he broke out in a (badly timed) grin at how adorable she looked when she was angry. "And now this is amusing to you? Unbelievable!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air, tears starting to run down her cheeks both from anger and hurt. "I don't need your pity, Rhys-"

Before she could further tear into him, his lips captured hers, his arms wrapping tightly around her, holding her close to him despite her shoving. She didn't kiss him back at first, but after a few moments, she caved, closing her eyes as her hands relaxed against him, kissing him back reluctantly. "I don't want to stay with you out of pity," He whispered to her, moving his hands to cup her cheeks, slowly wiping her tears away. She was stronger than he thought she was - the betrayal and murder of all of her kind, then Vasquez trying to drug (and God only knows what else) her, the repeated attacks from Maliwan, then this, from Katagawa, all making her seem stronger than he could ever be. "I decided before I even asked what happened that I wanted to stay with you," He added on, giving her a sincere smile when she sniffled. "But I needed to know what happened to you. You wouldn't tell me and you wouldn't tell Jack. And having seen what happened... That's something you can't handle alone, Baby," He whispered her nickname to her, her body shivering from it.

"You're an asshole," She whispered back to him, earning herself a chuckle.

"An asshole you love," He teased.

"I'm having second thoughts about that," She teased back, both of them laughing. "But, yes, I do love you, even if you are an asshole."

"And I love you, even if you did leave me for two years," He responded, smiling down at her.


	25. Chapter 25

Rhys was more at ease now about staying with her, after seeing - and mildly feeling - all the pain she went through before she was in the weakened state he had seen her in toward the end. She touched his hand and showed him the rest of what happened after Katagawa hung up the call with him and Jack, and although it was mild compared to what Katagawa did, it still bothered him to know she was backed into a corner with Zer0. He knew she wasn't one for violence, though, she didn't seem to flinch over the bandits being killed next to her - still, it didn't mean she enjoyed being involved in it. She could've killed them all if she wanted, but she never could bring herself to after what happened in her past. 

Aside from that, the fact that she and he nearly had angry make-up sex on his desk didn't help their frustrations with each other, but, they could fix things later. He promised to make it up to her tonight before he sent her back to Helios, promising to not be late like he was last night. Honestly, if there hadn't been an explosion in the outskirts of his town, he probably wouldn't have sent her back, but he had to rally his troops and send some that way while protecting him and his city. He didn't want her caught in the crossfire if there was any. Lorelei was still iffy on her and after she had taken the position of Rhys for a brief few hours earlier, she was even more unsure of Adelia.

_**On Helios... (4:45 PM)** _

Adelia materialized behind Jack, seeing him propped back, eating the pretzels he claimed to hate so very much, his eyes shifting over to her. "Hey there, Pumpkin," He said, setting his bag down, muting his side the video call he was in with Tediore, some board members of Hyperion, and a few other men she didn't recognize. "You're earlier than I expected."

"There was an explosion," She said, pulling herself up on the corner of his desk, meeting his gaze. "Rhys didn't want me to be in danger if it was Maliwan," She mumbled, glancing at the video call. "Should I go occupy myself?"

"Nah, I'm barely listening," Jack said, chuckling, setting his legs down. "We're just discussing the upcoming war with Maliwan. Dahl and Anshin want to be involved since Maliwan attacked one of their bases, though I'm fairly certain Dahl was paid off by Maliwan. Friggin' morons," He stated, patting his lap, grinning when she sheepishly slid down in his lap, letting her legs hang down the side of him. He chuckled, his lips finding their way to her neck, peppering her skin in light kisses, despite her soft, whining protests, his right hand caressing her thigh, edging up gradually.

"Stop," She whispered to him, giggling when he slowly slid his hand under her shirt, his calloused hands rubbing against her smooth stomach. "I'd rather you not show the entire board my breasts," She chastised him, slapping his hand lightly, a chuckle coming from him.

"Oh no, Baby, those are just for me," He purred to her, grinning at her flaming cheeks. "But, how about I show them your moaning face?" He purred to her, slowly edging his hand under her waistline, stopping when she gripped his hand, shooting him a squinting glare, his eyes shooting up to the video call when one of the board members she didn't recognize called out to him.

"I'm _so_ sorry if this conference is inconveniencing your time with a woman, Handsome Jack," The man boomed out, all the board members of Hyperion and Tediore sharing a similar gaze, worried for what was going to happen.

His grin grew across his masked face, his finger hitting the unmute button. "I'm _so_ sorry that you seem to think you can smart mouth me. Must I remind you who I am?" He spoke threateningly, growing annoyed by the disturbance, moving his hand to a button on his chair, hovering over it. 

"It's just a woman," The man said, shooting a glare to the Hyperion board members who tried to shush him, only furthering Jack's annoyance.

"'That woman' is the co-CEO of Hyperion and Atlas," Tediore's CEO said, stopping Jack before he could answer, the other man's face paling at the realization. "That's _his queen,_ and between you and me, she's the merciful one," The older man said, shooting a glare at Dahl's CEO. He hadn't had many interactions with Adelia, but he did have the pleasure of meeting her a few years ago - before Jack officially announced her as his queen. She definitely saved his ass from Jack's temper more than once, always defusing things, something nobody thought anyone could do with Jack. "It's good to see you again, Miss Adelia."

She grinned, giving a small wave to the group, Jack resting his head against this fist, keeping his cocky smirk plastered across his face, definitely amused by the fuck up, though, hearing them refer to her as his queen both flustered and made her happy, as for him, he just grinned even wider, happy to see that she was blushing at that, even if it was a light blush. "It's nice to see you again, as well, Mister Tediore, though I do wish it were under better terms," She started, feeling Jack lean back, letting her take the reigns. "I'm sorry to bust into the call unannounced," She started, his grin only widening, knowing her smartass mouth was going to fire off any moment now, his hands creeping under the desk when she turned to fully face the video call, caressing her once again. "But honestly, if you don't even know who I am, why are you even trying to form an alliance with us? Clearly, I'm 'just a woman' to you, which makes me wonder, just what are you up to? You certainly aren't here to form much of an alliance if you use the first chance you get to cock an attitude with Jack."

He chuckled lowly, his heterochromatic eyes gazing to the older man's face, seeing him visibly start to grow nervous. Truth be told, seeing her take control like that turned him on, and the erection pressing against her rear confirmed that much to her, a slight smirk on her face. "Well, I, uh-" The older man said, Tediore's CEO and Hyperion's board looking at each other wearily. She had a point. Why _was_ Dahl in here? They were a huge competitor to Tediore _and_ Hyperion.

"No, no, she's got a point," Jack said, leaning forward, his hands further creeping up her inner thighs. "Why _are_ you here, Dahl? You keep saying you're better than Hyperion, yet come with your friggin' tails between your legs the second Maliwan supposedly attacks one of your headquarters?" 

"W-well, Anshin is here too!" The board member for Dahl stated, shoving a finger at the younger, black-haired male.

"Anshin isn't a weapon's brand, Mister Lascaux," The Anshin board member said, keeping his legs crossed as he leaned back. Jack arched a brow, the Anshin group had been quiet the entire call, up until now. "We never claimed to be better than Hyperion nor have we tried to build knock-offs of Hyperion inventions. I can't say the same for Dahl Co."

Jack leaned back with a smirk, pulling Adelia back with him, letting her backrest against his chest with a smirk, despite her opening her mouth again. "We all know Dahl wants to be Hyperion, so, should we just assume you're here to work with Maliwan to take down Hyperion?" 

_**AN: Smutty language, but nothing too bad.** _

"God, you're so fuckin' sexy," Jack whispered into her ear, quiet enough so the others couldn't hear him, his breath warm against her ear when he spoke, his hands creeping between her thighs once again, only this time, he didn't stop, his hand pressing against her through her pants, grinning when she tensed, her hand gripping his wrist.

"Stop," She whispered to him, her face a bright crimson at this point, the erection pressing against her definitely not helping matters any.

"N-no, that's not-" The grey-haired man said, visible panic on his face. He had been exposed.

"Tell me, Mister... Lascaux, was it?" She started again, Jack's grip on her thigh tightening when she leaned forward again, his right hand slowly beginning to rub her through her leggings, but she persisted in ignoring him vocally, however, her hips moving against his hand told a different story. "How much is Maliwan paying you to try and form an alliance?"

"This is outrageous, I don't need to listen to a woman who reappeared after a two-year disappearance," Lascaux said, Jack moving his hand from her thigh, pressing a button on his chair, the automated turrets coming out of the wall, pointing at the elderly man.

"Hmm," Jack mused, his finger hovering the fire button. "I don't recall a two-year disappearance. She's been around the entire friggin' time," Jack stated, the board members and Tediore's CEO nodding in agreement, even Anshin mumbling a quiet 'yeah' to the others. As far as anyone who wasn't Rhys, Jack, or Maliwan associated knew, she was around, just dealing with things out of the public eye, the few voice recordings he had of her making it even easier to conceal the fact that she was in stasis for two years.

"Miss Adelia has been around, even if she's not visible in the conferences, she always been behind the scenes," Tediore said, Adelia arching a brow when she turned to look at Jack, who just shrugged with a cocky grin.

"You're all fools, that woman is a-" Before Lascaux could say any further, Jack pushed the button, gunshots echoing throughout the office as the bullets ravaged the elder man's body.

"Whoops," He said with a sadistic grin. "Finger slipped."

The young Anshin board member brushed some brains off of his white suit, "Well, I think that's enough for me for one day, gentlemen, and Miss Handsome Jack," He said, looking at Adelia and Jack, adjusting his black and red tie. "I believe otherwise, we are all in agreeance that we initiate war on Maliwan again for not only targeting my company, but Hyperion, Tediore, and Atlas as well. I will gladly provide shields in case there is a shortage and I expect I will be provided weapons for my army. It was a pleasure to finally put a name to the face, Miss Handsome Jack."

"Of course. Discuss further details with the board members," Jack responded, ending the call before Adelia could respond. He was done with it and had other matters to tend to, such as Adelia squirming against his hardened girth. "You... Are such a Goddamn tease, Kitten," He whispered to her, grinning when she giggled, her body shuddering as he pressed his lips lightly against the nape of her neck, a faint moan coming from her, his hands gliding up her thighs once again.

"Mm, as much as I enjoy your eagerness, I think I'd rather do it at home," She said, gripping his wrists, stopping him. Her ovulation cycle could hit her again at any moment, and she _really_ didn't want to be in public.

"I believe my Kitten is getting too brave," He purred to her, chuckling when she trembled, his hands moving under her thighs, lifting her up, his right arm moving to her back, carrying her down the stairs. "But, I suppose I'll listen. This time."

"Oh, how sweet of you, Daddy," She whispered back to him, giggling when he chuckled, pushing the giant doors to his office open with his hips, carrying her out.

Blake, on the other hand, was trying to balance a pen on his lips, the sound of the doors opening startling him to the point that he dropped the pen under his desk. He scrambled to pick it up, hitting his head on the back of the desk with a quiet "ouch" coming from him, seeing Jack and Adelia both staring at him - Jack with a grin, trying not to laugh, while she looked around, pretending to not have seen that for his sake, which honestly, only fueled Jack's amusement. "S-sir, Ma'am," He said shakily, sitting back in his chair.

"Didja get your pen, Kiddo?" Jack asked, laughing when Blake's face flared up in embarrassment.

"Y-yes, sir," Blake responded, sheepishly putting his pen down on the desk, his blue eyes glancing at Adelia. Honestly, he was surprised to see her still alive this morning. He was surprised _he_ was still alive after yesterday, seeing as the reason the two of them argued was because of him. Clearing his throat, he shifted his gaze to Jack, who was speaking softly to her, each word making her face flare a darker red, but behind that flustered face was a smile, watching as he carried her over to the fast travel. Honestly, Blake couldn't see what Jack saw in her, she just seemed average to him, but then again, he never really held an actual conversation with her. He was dying to know what made her special. "E-excuse me, Sir," He interrupted them, Jack sending a glare, turning from the fast travel station. "Did you finish the paperwork I gave you this morning?"

"Yeah, _Sir_ , did you?" She taunted Jack, grinning playfully up at him, holding in her giggles when he shot a threatening glare down at her. "What? Did you spend all day eating those pretzels again?" She continued to tease, Jack's eyebrow twitching slightly. He did spend all day eating pretzels. But he did also finish the paperwork.

"It's on my desk, just go fetch it before you leave," He said, shooting a glance at his secretary, before turning to punch in his personal code, the two of them materializing.

_**At Jack's...**_

"That smart mouth of yours is gonna get you in trouble, Kitten," He said to her, giving her a cocky grin, one that she gladly returned, her hands already moving up, slowly undoing the clips on his mask, pulling it off.

"Is it?" She questioned to him, smiling up at him, her right hand holding his mask in her hand, her body shifting when she wrapped her left arm around his neck, her hand sliding into his hair, bringing her lips against his in a heated, passionate kiss, an approving hum coming from him as he kissed her back, only more hungrily. 

"I see you're playing friggin' dirty, Honey," He whispered to her, breaking their kiss for a brief moment to have his retina scanned, the door unlocking for him, smirking when she flushed at her nickname. "But, I can play dirty, too," He murmured to her, tossing her over his shoulder, carrying her to his bedroom, his hand firmly grasping her rear, the feeling of lust coming over him again as her ovulation cycle hit her full force once again.

"Use a condom, please," She murmured to him sheepishly, glancing away from him when he arched a brow. After what happened with Rhys, her fertility rate would be higher than usual for the next few cycles, before it dropped back down to normal.

He really didn't want to, but if she was directly requesting it, he wouldn't go against her wishes. She had been kind enough to let him not use one any other time, and if she was asking him to use one, she must've really been in a mood. "I will, Kitten," He purred to her, giving her a rough, but quick, kiss, setting her down on the bed.

* * *

After a few rounds, leading up to him just finishing her off with his fingers, her markings were now visible as she clung to him, resting on top of his chest, fast asleep. He couldn't help but admire how they flowed around her entire body, glowing a light purple each time her heart beat. Instead of just random, flowing markings covering her - like Lilith's, the Vault Hunter Siren's, and Angel's -, they all flowed together, mimicking a flowering vine, connecting together in a wing shape, a diamond going between her breasts. He picked up one of her hands, seeing the markings cover each one of her fingers in small twirls, leading to a flower shape in the palm of it, a brow arching. Everything he knew about Sirens was now severely outdated with her, and honestly, he wondered why she hid her markings, but he wouldn't pry. She more than likely had a good reason to hide them, just like he had a reason to hide his scar all those years.

But that wasn't what annoyed him the most. No, what annoyed him the most was the visions of what Katagawa did to her that night. The fact that he stripped her, tortured, and practically killed her, the pain that she felt, all alone, all of it boiled up into anger, anger that the only reason she even showed him was on accident. He wasn't even sure if she knew she showed him. He did know one thing, though. Katagawa would pay. He'd scoop out that weasel's ECHO eye and implant with his own fingers, after that, he'd further the torture by...

He paused his train of thoughts, feeling her move against him, her grey eyes blinking up at him slowly before she slid off of him, lying down next to him again, this time with her back to him, falling back to sleep quickly, her nude body uncovered. He couldn't stop his chuckle, reaching over to run his hand through her black hair, realizing she must've gotten hot, seeing as she got out from under the blankets as well. "Honey," He whispered to her, shaking her shoulder lightly. She groaned, looking over at him sleepily. "I'm going to start dinner, don't forget to get dressed when you get up."

"Okay, Daddy," She mumbled out to him, giving him a tired smile. "Love you," She murmured out, making Jack freeze as she dozed back off, not even aware of what she had just told him. She _loved_ him? Impossible. She loved Rhys. Unless... No. Well, maybe. He stayed there, his mind racing at her sudden confession. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel the same toward her - he did, probably more than she could ever love him. She was the first woman he felt an _actual_ connection to - since his first wife -, and not someone he just married or 'dated' for appearances or to please the board. She did save him, even if she denied her feelings at first. She purposely sought him out after the matter, too, instead of just leaving him be. She forced a truce between him and the Crimson Bandits to _keep him safe_. Time after time, she put herself in harm's way to help him. And time and time again, she did the same for Rhys. It dawned on him. She really did love him and Rhys both. 

Carefully, he slid out of the bed, grabbing a pair of Hyperion yellow pajama bottoms from the dresser, sliding them on before he made his way out of the bedroom, a sly smirk on his face. He won her over. And, even though he didn't mean to be won over by her, he was still happy to know she was in his corner. But love could be a dangerous thing and he needed to be careful. She was often reckless, and honestly, he knew he could be just as reckless. If him being reckless didn't put her life on the line, it'd be a different story, but now, he had to be careful and make sure he planned things before walking into something. He needed to make sure she stayed safe.

Despite his anger at Katagawa, he prepared their dinner to be placed in the oven, placing it in the oven just as Rhys walked through the door. "You're off early," Jack said, working on the dishes he dirtied. "She's in my bedroom."

"Yeah... I didn't want to stay late again," Rhys mumbled, making his way down the hall, opening his bedroom door, tossing his vest on the bed before he made his way to Jack's room, opening the door quietly, freezing at her nude body lying out of the blankets, holding a pillow between her arms. He had seen her markings before, but never like this - like flowers moving all around her body as if someone had drawn on her with a single brush stroke; elegant, but flowing. Cautiously, he made his way to the bed, sitting down in front of her, running his hand over her head. "I'm home, Baby," He whispered to her, seeing her eyes move a bit under her eyelids, before those grey eyes he and Jack loved so much opened, gazing up at him, a small smile on her lips.

"Welcome home, Rhysie," She murmured to him, slowly moving to sit up, his eyes taking in her entire body, watching as her markings started to fade now that she was awake, his gaze shifting over her breasts, her curves, even her thighs. She was skinnier than she had been when she had to undergo stasis again, but she was putting it back on, filling into her curves nicely once again, but honestly, even if she didn't, he'd still think she was gorgeous. 

"How are you feeling, Baby?" He asked, running his cool, cybernetic hand over her face, smiling when she shivered. "You surprised me a bit earlier, with your mood."

"It happens," She answered, gradually sliding her legs off the bed, his eyes scanning her body quietly, seeing all of the marks Jack had left on her. He couldn't lie, he was a bit jealous, but given how she felt earlier, there was no way he could've kept up with her. "But more importantly, how are you feeling?" She questioned, looking over at him.

"I'm fine, Addy," He reassured her, cupping her cheeks in his hands. "Jesus Christ, you're burning up," He said, moving his left hand away, keeping his right one pushed against her face, the cool metal feeling good against her.

"It's okay, Baby," She said to him, cupping her hand against his. "It happens when my body goes into overdrive. I just need to rest."

"Overdrive?" He asked, arching a brow.

"Well..." She started, her cheeks flushing a bright crimson. "It's... complicated. When a marked lover has doubts about their relationship, it puts our ovulation cycle on hold until we either fix or end the bond. Once it's solved, it tends to come back with a raging force," She explained, pausing. "And... it boosts our fertility for the next seven cycles."

"I'm still confused on why you had a cycle this time," Rhys mumbled, moving some of her hair out of her face.

"I was only in a short-term stasis. Had it been long term like before, it would've taken me longer. Plus... I do have you two marked to me now, last time, I only had you marked, and that wasn't even at first, that came months later," She answered, her grey gaze looking up at him.

He stayed quiet, frowning. That was true. Last time, he didn't get marked by her until a considerable amount of time later, and not long after that, she hit her ovulation cycle full force. "So... Is your body going to stay in overdrive when you get into a mood?" He finally asked, moving his hand from her face, grabbing her shirt up off the floor and handing it to her. The longer he sat there and stared at her naked, the less it'd help him keep a grounded mind.

"I'm not sure," She answered truthfully, smiling at him, sliding her shirt on over her head, pulling her long hair out the back. "I hope not, I'm exhausted," She joked, laughing when he chuckled, his cheeks flushing. "Besides," She continued after they finished laughing, her lips kissing his cheek lightly. "I'd rather spend time with you than be a sex-crazed woman."

His cheeks flared at her words, a slight chuckle coming from him again. "Aren't you always?"

"Out of all the men in the universe, I get the two assholes," She teased, smacking his arm lightly with a playful smile.

He laughed, standing up, handing her pants off to her. "You know you love these assholes," He teased with a grin, watching her slide her leggings on, rolling her eyes at his words.

"You're not wrong," She teased back, wrapping her arms around his neck, smiling up at him. "I do love you two assholes," She smiled wider, closing her eyes when his lips pressed against hers sweetly, holding more passion than he had ever done before, a soft moan coming from her when his hands slid under her waistband, grasping her ass roughly. She may not have been in the mood anymore, but he certainly was after the lust she felt earlier. He had to lock his doors and deal with it alone, and even then, it wasn't enough. But, she was too exhausted right now, he could see that.

Pulling his lips from hers, he smiled down at her, sliding his hands up to her waist, caressing her smooth skin slowly, her body shivering from his cool touch. "I think dinner's almost done," He spoke softly, moving his cybernetic hand up, gently running the cold metal against her warm, lower lip. She stared up at him with her grey eyes, meeting his brown ones with a smile.

"Your hand feels so much different than before, more like an actual hand, despite how cold it is. I like it."

He grinned down at her, moving his cool touch down her chin. "I can feel textures with it a lot better than the other one, too. It's not as accurate as my left hand, but it's still close, but Addy..."

"That's good, amazing how far you've come in a couple of years," She beamed up at him, his heart pounding in his chest, his cheeks flushing. "What is it, Rhysie?"

"Why do you hide your markings? I mean, I get why you hide them in public, but around me and Jack," He asked, feeling her body tense slightly.

"I don't like to see them," She answered meekly, breaking her gaze from his. 

"But they're so unique and so gorgeous to stare at-"  
"They hold a lot of painful memories," She cut him off, keeping her gaze off of him. His face fell, his arms moving around her back, hugging her tightly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you remember that," He whispered to her, feeling her hands pat his back lightly, a faint giggle coming from her.

"It's okay, Baby, you would've learned eventually," She comforted him, moving her hands from around his back to his cheeks, cupping them lightly when she leaned away. "I was just too tired to keep them hidden earlier, but I'm feeling much better."

"I'm glad you're feeling better," He murmured, slowly sliding his cybernetic arm under her thighs, lifting her up with ease, the same way he used to do it before, a quiet squeal, followed by happy giggles, coming from her, her arms wrapping around his neck. "Let's get you something to eat, Baby."

After they finished eating dinner, Adelia helped Jack wash the dishes with very little communication. Jack had something on his mind and he didn't want to share, so she dropped it - even though it was about what Katagawa did to her. Rhys stayed in the kitchen, waiting for them to finish, not even hiding his gaze as he watched her ass from afar. "I'm gonna head back to bed, Jack," She said, touching his arm lightly. 

"Alright, Kitten," He responded, giving her a quick, rough kiss, one that she returned with a gentle touch. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," She smiled up at him, his anger only intensifying. She was hiding her trauma from that night so well, while he was just a bumbling mess from his _childhood trauma_. He still held abandonment issues after his mom left him to his grandmother, and then, all the betrayals - just, so much -, yet here she was, acting completely fine. The only time she seemed to show any reaction was if he was loud or he brought any type of impact play into their playtime, and even then, she just shook and cried. She didn't get angry, she didn't get upset after, she just apologized for 'ruining their mood'.

Looking back at them, he watched as Rhys followed behind her, rubbing his face, annoyed. He needed to deal with Katagawa before any more harm came to her or his company.

* * *

Two months have passed since then, Adelia finished up her ovulation cycle as normal, only this time, she kept Rhys and Jack in the loop about things instead of hiding them, both men showing patience with her morning sickness and sleepiness. There were a few close calls with all of them getting ahead of themselves in the heat of the moment, forgetting about condoms and nearly forgetting to pull out, but luckily, neither one got her pregnant. Anshin's board member Adelia had met that day in the conference call was coming around a lot more frequently, eager to start an actual partnership with Atlas, despite Rhys trying to tell them no, much to Jack's anger, especially when he flirted with Adelia in front of both of them. Though it was humorous when she turned down all his advances with just an arched brow or a snide remark - he really had no desire to pursue anything with her, he just liked to see Rhys and Jack get angry. 

Jack's anger toward Katagawa had only grown more, and with the new declaration of war, he could feel his blood boiling every time the slippery snake managed to escape them. It didn't help that Dahl was more than furious with them for killing their executive board member, deciding to aid Maliwan in the war, but everyone already knew that was going to happen either way it went. Adelia had started to regularly attend the meetings with Jack and Rhys, even going as far as to help out Atlas more on Promethea, despite Rhys's protests initially. The people seemed to like her, and since summer was rolling around there, they had prepped their gardens and were amazed that they could hold it, which definitely won over any nonbelievers. The war was mostly on Pandora, which was no surprise to any of them. Rhys and Jack tried to keep the war off of Promethea as much as they could, they didn't want the bandits branching there, extending their hold to other planets as well.

She was quite popular among Hyperion and Atlas, being known as the one, singular person who could calm down Jack. People typically stayed out of her way, nobody had ever seen her angry - besides the old secretary that Jack had long disposed of -, and with each passing day, her powers were returning more and more, even stronger than before, especially after Jack let Rhys in on their little experiments, though, having the two men on her at once wasn't that pleasant for her - probably because they were both too aggressive on her at once, each one trying to outdo the other -, so after their first time, it was never done again, but neither of the men seemed to care.

Eventually, she had to come clean about what happened to her to Jack and told him everything; he didn't tell her he already knew, he wanted her to come forth about it on her own. He was pissed that Rhys knew before him, but judging by the times she gave, they learned the same day, though, she didn't know that. Now, though, he and Rhys had both grown more protective of her. They knew she was getting stronger, but the threat of Katagawa still remained; she was strong before she went into stasis for two years, and she wasn't anywhere near that level again. However, thanks to her gradual growing strength, she and Jack had started dancing again, and Rhys had started to learn with her again, though he was still severely clumsy, but she didn't mind leading him and taught him gradually (but he was still extremely clumsy, even with her leading, much to her humor).

Despite Jack's protests, Adelia had checked in on Pandora, telling Lilith and the other Crimson Raiders to ready themselves for a larger scale war. Thanks to Rhys helping build up Sanctuary and Jack providing (tester) guns in passing - basically, he shot a moonshot down with rejected models -, there was a considerable bit of protection around Sanctuary. She didn't agree with Lilith or the others and had done similar to Jack - dubbed them as bandits -, but right now, they couldn't pick and choose their allies too much. Lilith was more willing to work with her now than she had been before, probably because Adelia didn't hesitate to assert her dominance and overpowered her before, much to Jack's relief - the less she had to use her powers, the better.

_**Now... (Helios)** _

Adelia adjusted the black, knee-length skirt Jack insisted she wear to the meeting, adjusting the yellow blouse, tugging it away from her breasts a bit, her black heels tapping along the side of him. She had put her weight back on that she had lost over the last two years and now looked much healthier (at least in Jack's and Rhys's opinions), and Jack honestly had a hard time keeping his hands off of her even more now. She had her long hair cut not long after she ended her cycle, her black hair now resting shoulder-length, flowing in natural curls as she listened to Jack rant and rave on about how all these meetings were boring and "he wished he was in Pandora to kill the bandits himself".

"Jack, we both know if you go down to Pandora alone, there's a chance Lilith will turn on you and I both," She finally pipped up, stopping in front of the board room's doors with him.

"I know, Pumpkin," He mumbled, running his hand through his messy hair. "Doesn't make it any less friggin' annoying. We just talk about the same thing every week."

"I know," She whispered to him, grinning when he wrapped his arms loosely around her waist, pulling her close to him, her hands resting against his shoulders. "Jack, we're going to be late," She warned, giggling when he kissed her cheek, then her jawline.

"Let 'em wait," He murmured into her ear, shivers running down her spine at his smooth voice.

"You can't seriously still be in the mood," She mumbled to him, a soft inhale coming from her when his sharp canines grazed her jawline.

"If you wouldn't look so sexy in yellow, I wouldn't be," He teased, sliding his hands under her skirt gradually, a grin plastered on his face, his nose pressing against the nook of her neck.

"Jack," She warned, moving her hands down his arms, gripping his wrists. "I know you're just teasing me. If you were really in the mood, you'd be hard."

"Fair point, Kitten," He purred against her ear, chuckling, pulling his hands out from under her skirt, watching her adjust it with a reddened face, his hands moving to the door handles, opening the doors for the both of them. "We'll see if that changes after the meeting."

"You two are always so late," Tediore said, sipping on his glass of water, glancing at the two of them. She just shot a glare at him, knowing full well what he was implying, but she also knew he was just messing with her.

"We're not that late," She said, smoothing the back of her skirt down before taking a seat next to Rhys, Jack taking the seat next to her, at the head of the table. Despite being a bitter old man, Tediore did like to poke fun at her relationship with the two CEOs - all in lighthearted manners. He had no problem with her and he _definitely_ didn't want any. "Where's Anshin?" She asked, feeling Rhys place his hand on her thigh under the table, Jack doing the same, using all of her strength to not roll her eyes at them as they both leaned back to make it less obvious.

"I'm here," He said, coming into the doors behind them, taking his set next to Tediore, between him and the other lesser board members of Hyperion - the man who took Rhys's place, the Eridium mining overlooker, etc. "Sorry to keep you waiting," He said, grinning at Adelia first, before looking at Jack, who just scowled at him, his grip on her thigh tightening a bit, causing her to clear her throat, her cheeks dusting a light pink, a smirk taking over his scowl at her fidgeting beneath both of their hands, Rhys squeezing her other thigh in return, sharing a similar grin with Jack. The past two months had brought them all closer, considering they were _technically_ in a three-way relationship. They had even started sleeping in the same bed from time to time, with her in the middle, though she often complained about them holding her too tightly against one of them - both of them were possessive of her.

"Alright, then let's begin," She started, glancing at Jack.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," He said with a grin. "The Hyperion-Tediore models have been flying off the assembly line before we can even get them manufactured. In terms of class, we have plenty," He started. "Shields are in low quantity with us waging war on Elpis with Maliwan, but Anshin has been keeping everyone covered. Atlas's rare elemental SMGs have been working friggin' wonders, as well. We're melting them faster than they can recruit troops," He finished with a sadistic grin.

"We've been able to go back into the mines, as well," The Eridium mining overlooker said, adding onto Jack's statement. 

"Promethea is building up nicely since Jack bought the old Maliwan storage building for Atlas HQ," Rhys piped in. "Crops are coming in nicely from the farms and people are more than willing to join Atlas's army and gladly supply us with food and medical supplies, meaning our cost is minimal. All the troops are well fed and the medics have plenty of supplies."  
"Thanks to the bots being sent ahead of the crew, we've minimalized casualties, as well," Adelia said, drumming her fingers along the table. She could understand why Jack was bored with the meetings every week - it was literally the same thing every week with very little development. The fact that Anshin kept his eyes on her the whole time didn't help matters any, either, since it annoyed both Jack and Rhys. It didn't help that when he touched her in passing the other day, she felt uneasy around him; it was like she knew him, but didn't at the same time. "Do you have any new information, Mister Tediore?" She asked, shifting her grey gaze over to him.

"No, Tediore is still standing strong like before. We've had no problems with Maliwan yet, but that's probably because we're such a small company compared to them. We don't have nearly as many bases as Hyperion or Atlas does."

"Anshin?" She asked, glancing over at him, shivers running down her spine at his brown stare. She knew him. Or, at least, she knew someone related to him from her time. And that worried her.

"Well," He stared, leaning forward with a seductive grin, keeping his gaze on Adelia. "We have information about a new Siren coming into the picture, about three years ago," He started, Jack, Rhys, and Adelia all tensing slightly, trying to keep their reactions minimal.

"A new Siren? Tell us more," Tediore encouraged, eager to hear about the new Siren.

"Apparently," Anshin started, his grin turning into a smirk, keeping his gaze on Adelia. "She's supposedly stronger than the Firehawk. And, according to my informant, she's the oldest living human, and easily near a Godlike power."  
"That's impossible," Jack interjected, slamming his hands on the table. "The Firehawk is the strongest Siren. I confirmed that with my own experiments. Your informant was wrong."

Anshin arched a brow at Jack, shifting his gaze back to Adelia. "My informant also tells me," He started, adjusting his suit as he stood up. "That she seems to fancy two of the CEOs in this room," Reluctantly, he broke his gaze off of her, sending a cocky smirk to Jack. "But, hey, my informant could be wrong. If Handsome Jack says the Firehawk is most powerful, then that's that, I suppose. I'll be taking my leave now."

He walked toward the doors, Tediore looking at Jack and Rhys slowly, his eyes stopping on Adelia, the gears in his head-turning. If she was a Siren, why didn't she have markings? As far as he or anyone in here knew (judging by the murmuring), she was the only one close to both Rhys and Jack, and aside from him and Anshin, they were the only other CEOs in this room. The other board members murmuring amongst themselves, glancing at a pissed-off looking Jack, a nervous Rhys, and a blank-faced Adelia. Slowly, she stood up, leaving the room behind Anshin, Jack and Rhys looking at each other, but deciding not to follow behind. They had to deal with this first.

"Mister Anshin," She said, watching as the tall figure stopped, turning to look at her with a smirk. "What was the meaning of that?"

"Oh, Miss Adelia, you know I just like to turn the pot. After all, certainly, you remember me?" He asked, stepping closer to her, the onlookers shifting by nervously. "I know you know who I am."

"I don't know you," She said, shooting him a glare with her grey eyes, his brown ones burning back into hers. "But I'd appreciate it if you'd stop trying to rile Jack up, it won't end well for you if you keep persisting." Breaking his gaze from her, he glanced around, opening a storage closet next to them, shoving her into it. "What the hell?!" She exclaimed, shoving his hands off of her. 

"I'm hurt you don't even remember me," He whispered to her, his face dangerously close to hers. "Perhaps this would help," He stated, pulling the brown contacts out of his eyes, his eyes holding a grey tone similar to hers, something only people with Eridian bloodlines had. Her eyes widened as she stared up at him, confused. 

"Impossible," She stammered out, crossing her arms across her chest. "All Eridians died thousands of years ago."

"All but us two," He corrected, sliding his contacts back in, allowing his markings to show. Unlike Adelia, he only had a few stray markings on his arm, branching onto his face slightly. "Though I must say, it's been a pain in the ass to hunt you down. I figured when I touched you at the previous meeting, you would've remembered me."  
"I still don't have any memory of you," She said, keeping her gaze on his, completely thrown back. 

"My mother begged you to take my twin with you when you were running before she was overpowered by _her_ ," He started, grinning when her eyes widened. "Being distraught, you teleported me and my sister to safety, but she met her end due to her illness a few years later. Surely you remember Lydia?"  
"Lydia..." She mumbled, thinking back. "Was she the one that had severely impaired-"  
"Motor functions, yes. You tried to treat her, but there was only so much you could do. Had the uprising not started, you probably could've cured her," He cut her off, adjusting his tie as his markings vanished. "I owe you my life for saving me and attempting to save her. I know you didn't knowingly do it, but the goodness of your heart shined through that day," Once he finished speaking, he brought her hand to his lips, giving it a ginger kiss. "Thank you, Lady Adelia."

"Alex, no," She murmured, pulling her hand away from him. "I didn't even realize I saved you. I mean, I'm glad I did, but-"  
"No buts," He said, gripping her shoulders. "I thought you had perished after you saved us. You were gone for so long-"  
"How are you even still alive?" She asked, hesitantly reaching up, touching his sharp face. He was definitely alive. The warmth she felt and the heartbeat pressing against her fingers signaled that much.

"I went under a stasis with you after my sister passed on. I woke up a lot earlier than you, but my grief either reached you and you put me in stasis with you, or I managed to do it myself. I'm not sure what happened. I just know I felt this warmth come over me when I collapsed in the desert and then, I woke up about fifteen years ago, stranded and alone in a city called Wurmwater. A woman named Scarlett raised me until I left, not long after she was killed by the Vault Hunters. Plus," He paused, gazing down at her, cupping her chin in his hand. "You know we don't die easily, halflings or not. The only way we can die is if another Siren kills us, we overexert ourselves, or our marked ones die."

"I had no idea you were still alive," She mumbled, keeping her hand on his cheek. She couldn't believe it. "All this time, I thought everyone died. I thought I was all alone."  
"I felt the same. By some mercy to God, or whatever, there's another one. It's not just me," He whispered, moving his face closer to hers. "And to top it all off, the daughter of the previous Creator. The new Creator."

She laughed, sliding her hand to his shoulder. "I wouldn't say that," She sheepishly said. "I'm nowhere near as strong as I used to be, and after what happened with Katagawa-"  
"I know," He cut her off, moving his hand to cup her cheek, his eyes searching hers. "That's why I wanted to form an alliance with Jack. I feel see the marks on them, even if they try to keep it covered. When you fell back into stasis, I felt it. I knew then, that you were still alive. You were the heart of the Eridians after your mother passed. "I may have only been ten, but I knew you were what held us together, and when they started to turn against you, I could feel the turmoil in your soul. We all could, but _she_ had everyone tied around her fingers. I was there that day she corrupted the Destroyer. I was there to see your beatings, even if I were in the shadows. I remember it all. It wasn't your fault, you tried to save them as much as you could, and your father begged them to see the wrongs in their methods, but they refused." Her eyes widened more, tears starting to come to her eyes. "I never turned on you," He whispered to her, running his thumb along her cheek. "Maybe that's why you saved me. You knew I never betrayed you."

"God, Alex, I'm so sorry," She said, tears rolling down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around him. He towered over her even more than Jack did, but still, he hugged her back tightly, a few tears of his own dripping from his eyes. "It's been so lonely without anyone to talk to," She sheepishly said, both of them letting out hushed laughter.

"Tell me about it," He whispered, squeezing her tightly. She was older than him before she went under stasis, but now, he was _technically_ older than her, only because he had woken up before her. He could feel how weak she was, compared to how strong she used to be when she played with them. The good thing about being Eridians is they typically stopped aging at thirty, so they retained their good looks. 

"So that's why you were flirting with me," She finally said, wiping her tears away with a grin. "You shithead. You could've told me before now," She chastised him, grinning when he rubbed the back of his head.

"I mean, I could've, but I wasn't sure how you'd take it. You were so weak a few months ago," He meekly said, chuckling a bit. "Besides, I'm not even into women like that."  
_"Oh?"_ She said with a wide grin. "Let me guess," She started, stepping closer to him. "You want to mark Timothy?"  
He stayed quiet, his face flaring a bright crimson as he cleared his throat, adjusting his tie, shifting his gaze off of her. "... Perhaps," He mumbled out.

"It's obvious with the way you look at Jack," She teased, seeing the door to the storage room open, a furious Jack staring at the two of them, Alex's gaze meeting Jack's heterochromatic one, forcing his blush from her teasing even further. Jack wasn't Tim and Tim wasn't Jack - Jack radiated dominance while Tim radiated submissiveness, though, he did randomly get into dominant moods.

"You," Jack snarled, throwing his thumb over his shoulder. _"Out."_ Alex obeyed, stepping out of the closet slowly. "My office," Jack demanded even further, his hand reaching out to grab Adelia less than gently, definitely bruising her, pulling her behind him.

"Jack, you're hurting me," She whispered to him, gripping his hand with hers. He shifted an angry gaze down at her, seeing her face of worry and fear, and, with a sigh, he released his grip off of her, watching as she rubbed her arm slowly, realizing he nearly broke his promise to her. Rhys's shoes tapped on the floor behind them, catching up to them, his arm wrapping around her shoulder, shooting a glare at Jack.

"Are you okay?" He asked her softly, cupping her sore arm lightly with his hand, the two of them following a bit behind Jack and Alex.

"It's okay," She whispered to him, covering his hand with hers. "He stopped when I told him he was hurting me."

"Good," He whispered to her, leading her into Jack's office, a confused Blake staring at the four of them.

Once they were all in there, Rhys and Adelia stayed a bit back, Alex standing between the chairs, watching as Jack rounded his desk, sitting in his yellow chair. "Tell me," He started, Alex jumping at the anger in his tone. "How did you figure it out?"

"It's not hard to tell," Alex started, tensing when Jack pulled out his pistol, aiming it at him. "Especially when I'm also Eridian," He added on quickly, Jack arching a brow.

"That's impossible. She's verified she's the last one," He stated flatly, slowly pulling the trigger.  
"It's true," Adelia finally interrupted, literal milliseconds before the gun would've fired, Rhys holding his arm out to her as she stood in front of him, blocking (or attempting to) his shot. "I thought I was the last one, but he also has Eridian blood. Show him," She said to Alex, moving a bit as the tall male slid off his white suit, rolling up the black shirt sleeve, his blue markings appearing on his flesh, his hand moving to pull his contact out of his left eye, revealing a grey color mirroring hers.

Rhys slowly approached, looking at the markings up close. Unlike Adelia's that flowed so elegantly, they looked similar to Lilith's, only more... violent. Jack slowly lowered his gun, standing up quickly. "I thought you said they all died during the uprising," He said, glancing at Adelia.

"I thought they did," She said, keeping her gaze firm against his while Rhys examed the markings, his ECHO eye scanning them. Unlike hers also, his extended onto his face, nearly covering his eyelid. "We're not connected by a bond, or at least, not a two-way one. He can feel my life force, but that's it," She explained, crossing her arms over her chest.

"So," Rhys asked, setting the arm down, "Does this mean you'll be marking him too?" He questioned, both he and Jack praying the answer was no.

"He's not into women," She answered for Alex. "He picked Timothy."

"Oh, that's good," Jack said, slowly sitting in his chair again, the realization not hitting him yet. "Wait, _what?!"_


	26. Chapter 26

"So let me get this right," Jack started, rubbing his masked face. "You wanted me, but she already had me, so you went for my body double."

Rhys and Adelia rubbed their faces, sitting in the chairs in front of his desk. Jack took the news less than well. "If I wanted you, I would've pursued you the second we met with the first meeting," Alex declared, Rhys and Adelia groaning. This had easily turned into a giant argument. "Honestly, I had no idea who you even were when I met him," He shrugged, seeing Jack's eye twitch in annoyance. "I met him at a bar and we hit it off. I didn't learn about you until two years later when Timothy said you were deploying him to look for Katagawa."

Rhys couldn't help but cover his mouth, stifling a laugh, Adelia, on the other hand, picked her head up, gazing at Jack. He was more than pissed and she could feel it. "Now I know you're lying-" Jack started, getting interrupted by Adelia.

"Ooookay, I think it's time I ask questions," She said, standing up. "What's the big deal if he dates Timothy? It's not like either can have children with each other, anyways."  
"And honestly, Timothy isn't-" Alex started, shushing when she cupped his mouth with her hand.

"He hasn't been to a Vault so Timothy isn't even fully marked," She continued, staring Jack down, the dominance in the room coming from both of them making both Rhys and Alex uncomfortable. 

"The problem is I don't want people to think I'm gay," He said, slamming his hands on the table, staring down at her. "I declared _you_ my queen, can you imagine what people would say?"  
"Who cares?" She shot back at him, taking a step. "You always tell me not to care what people think but you suddenly care what they think?"

"Actually, we're never public," Alex interjected sheepishly, both their heads snapping to look at him.

"See? Problem solved," She continued a moment later, crossing her arms over her chest, staring down at Jack with a smirk. He wanted to keep arguing, but right now, the only thing on his mind was murder and how sexy she looked arguing with him, that smug grin on her face only furthering his arousal. 

He scowled, keeping his gaze on her. He could sit here and continue to argue with her all day, but neither of them would back down. "You're dismissed," He finally said through a clenched jaw.

"I'll uh, I'll send my info to your ECHO," Alex said, tapping Adelia's shoulder, turning to leave, thankful that he was leaving that situation with (hopefully) minimal damage. He couldn't teleport wherever he wanted, or create anything he wanted like she could, but he could leech and Phaselock, maybe some mild healing, but that's as far as it went. One thing did bother him though - how did she know he didn't go into a Vault?

* * *

_**AN: Slight smut, then full smut**_

Rhys had retreated to Promethea not long after Alex left, saying Lorelei had some news for him - which wasn't a lie -, but he was thankful to be out that tense situation. Jack and Adelia alone together like that definitely could overpower everyone else when they got into it.

"I don't trust him," Jack said, breaking their silence first, propping his feet up on his desk, staring at his emails.   
"I do," She said, turning from the view of Elpis, staring at him. "This entire time, I thought I was alone, but I'm not."  
"Why was he friggin' flirting with you so much then, Pumpkin?" He practically snarled, turning to face her with a firm stare.

"I don't know that much," She admitted, rolling her eyes as she walked over to him, slowly taking a seat in his lap, her skirt riding up her thighs, a small grin plastered across her lips when his hands gripped her exposed thighs. "He probably wanted my attention so he could tell me privately if I had to guess," She whispered to him, moving her lips closer to his, smirking when his breathing grew deeper. This damn woman drove him up the wall and across the ceiling, but that smell of lavender he learned to love always calmed him down. "I told you before," She continued moments later. "I recognized his bloodline was close to mine, but my memories are still in patches. I remember who he is, though. He's not a threat, if he was, he would've tried to kill me in that closet," She stated, Jack's grip tightening on her thighs, a frown crossing his face at the thought of her dying. 

"Or he knew he'd be in deep shit if he did," He murmured out, keeping his heterochromatic gaze on hers.

"He could've easily gotten away," She argued back, sliding her hands into the back of his voluminous, brown hair, tugging on it lightly, a low groan coming from him, his hands creeping further up her thighs, edging under her skirt. "I know you don't like to trust people," She whispered to him, keeping her grey gaze locked on his. "But you trusted me. And I trust him. I don't remember him fully, but I feel that we can sincerely trust him. If he held ill intentions, he would've acted or given something away to us by now. But," She paused, bringing her face even closer to his, her breath warm against his masked lips. "We could always double-check with Timothy to make sure he was telling the truth."

"Hm," Was all Jack had to say about it, his lips crashing on hers soon after, a hushed gasp coming from her when his hands gripped her rear, shoving her skirt up even further. Returning his hungry kiss with a gentle one of her own, she gradually began to grind her hips against him, both of them releasing hushed moans to each other between their kisses, her hands tugging on his hair ever so slightly, edging him on. 

"It's cute when you're jealous," She whispered to him when they took a break from their kissing, his eyes glinting in amusement.

"Jealous? Handsome Jack doesn't get jealous, Baby," He purred to her, his hands sliding out from under her skirt, unzipping the back of it. "Possessive though? Definitely," He murmured to her seductively, his lips attacking her neck in rough kisses, leaving a few lovebites here and there, each kiss rising a soft moan from her, his hands raising her skirt up to her stomach. Neither he nor Rhys could be intimate with her while she dealt with the aftermath of her ovulation cycle, and it definitely was showing with both of them. This morning, Rhys was happy to mark her again, both of them a fevered mess before he left, and the marks on her neck told that story, but now, it was Jack's turn.

Moving his hands to the front of her shirt, he slowly began to unbutton it, grinning when her hips ground against his gradually-hardening girth, his hands stilling when the intercom came on. "S-sorry for interrupting but Mister Tediore still wants to talk," Blake's voice rang out, a groan of annoyance coming from her and a chuckle from him.

"Is my Kitten that impatient?" He asked her lowly, his hands gliding inside of her shirt, grasping her breasts roughly, a startled moan coming from her.

"You made me this way," She mumbled back to him, her hands cupping his face, bringing her lips to his in a hungry kiss.

They both groaned when Blake's voice echoed in again, interrupting their kiss. "S-sir?"

He stared up at her with his green and blue gaze, meeting her grey one with a smirk. He had half a mind to go out there and kill them both, but this could work in his favor. He could prolong her suffering as a means of revenge for arguing with him. "On your knees, Kitten," He demanded to her in a hushed, seductive tone, watching as her face flared a bright crimson, enjoying the view while she slowly sank to her knees underneath his desk, looking up at him with lustful eyes. "Try to keep your hands to yourself or I'll be forced to punish you," He threatened, chuckling at her wicked smirk. She always enjoyed his 'punishments' and he enjoyed giving them out. Sliding his legs under his desk, he felt her hands caress his clothed knees, his shit-eating grin plastered across his face at her already touching him. "Send him in," He finally said back into the intercom, pressing the door lock disengage button on his chair, a strained groan coming from him when he felt her hand run over his hardened girth, his left hand covering his mouth and his eyes snapping up at the older man bounding up the stairs.

"Jack," Tediore started, slamming his hands on the table, making Adelia jump slightly, her hands grasping Jack's thighs roughly.

"Tediore," Jack responded in a pissed off tone, his hand moving down just a tad, his fingers grazing against hers in a means to calm her down. She had gotten used to his anger, but when other people were aggressive, it still frightened her, and honestly, it pissed him off for a number of reasons; who did this man think he was? Barging into _his_ friggin' office? Slamming those filthy hands on _his_ friggin' desk?  
"What you said isn't sitting right with me. You've been acting differently since she's been actively around Helios," Tediore said, shooting a glare at the younger man sitting across from him. "If she's a Siren, I think we deserve to know since we're supposed to be partners."

"Even if she was a friggin' Siren - which she's not -," Jack started, leaning forward, using his new position to cover her trembling hand with his. "I don't owe any of you anything. Board members are a dime a dozen, and must I remind you that I own your fuckin' company?" He asked, his anger very present in his tone. 

"Yeah, but-"  
"But? There are no buts!" He exclaimed, leaning forward even more, shoving a finger at the older man. "I can shoot you where you stand and your board will listen to me or be fired and replaced. You are _nothing._ I only kept you on for shits and giggles."

Tediore's face paled at the realization. He forked over his entire company to Jack and didn't even realize it. He should've read the contract's fine print. "R-right..." He mumbled, slowly backing away. "I'll be on my way then."

Once the doors shut behind Tediore, Jack leaned back, pulling her trembling body into his arms. "It's okay, Kitten, calm down," He whispered to her, rubbing her back lightly as she let out a choked sob against his neck, gripping the back of his coat tightly. "Shhh," He cooed to her, stroking the back of her head. Never in a million years would he picture himself here, holding her, being _soft_ to her. Or even with someone _like_ her. He swore off love years ago, yet here he was, caring for her, holding her when she cried against him, and when she whispered those two words to him two months ago, he was so happy to hear them. 

"I'm sorry," She mumbled out to him, wiping her eyes slowly, keeping her gaze off of his. To say she felt pathetic was an understatement.

"For what?" He asked, blinking. "You went through some pretty shitty things and you hold your shit together - for the most part. Hell, I lost my shit with you before, too." She smiled at the last part, meeting his gaze, pressing her face against his hand cupping her left cheek, enjoying his calloused thumb caressing her skin. It was true, he did lose his tough-guy composure to her. "There's that smile," He murmured to her, bringing his grinning lips to hers in a rough, but sweet, kiss.

Hesitantly, she returned his kiss with a gentle one of her own, feeling his thumb graze along her cheek again, her hands moving to his hair, a hushed moan coming from her when his other hand started to glide up her thigh. "Jack," She whispered to him, staring at him with a reddened face. Despite her sobbing, he had a raging erection and it needed to be dealt with, plus, he didn't care that she cried at all, honestly, it was pretty nice to see her have her shit not together. And, typically, she bounced back fairly quickly these days. "I don't want to," She continued, gripping his hair tightly, tilting his head back with a playful smirk, a low groan coming from him as he met her wanting gaze with his own. "Not here. Too many interruptions."  
Slowly, his cocky smirk grew across his lips, his hand moving from her cheek to his intercom, his other hand moving to zip up her skirt. "I'm leaving," He announced to Blake through the intercom, ignoring the questions while he slid his hands under her thighs, lifting her up with ease, punching in his home code into the fast travel in his office, both of them dematerializing.  
  
 _ **At Jacks...**_

As soon as Jack closed the front door and they both kicked their shoes off, he slammed her against the wall, both of them sharing a heated, hungry kiss with one another while his hands quickly found the buttons to her shirt, practically popping them off, grinning against her lips when she slid her hands against his chest, undoing the clasps quickly. She released a breathy moan when his lips met her throat, giving it a harsh nibble, marking her as his temporarily. He shrugged his coat and vest off, his lips meeting hers in a hungry kiss once again, asserting his dominance over her by forcing his tongue past her lips, a low noise coming from him when she gave his tongue a firm suckle. His tongue retreated back into his mouth as he broke the kiss, staring at her darkened face with a hungry gaze, her body trembling under it, feeling like a prey about to be devoured by its predator.

He smirked, both of their chests heaving as they panted from their kiss, his hands sliding to the back of her skirt, undoing it once again, watching as it fell from around her, exposing her black, lacey panties and the black garters running down to her black stockings. Moving his left hand down, he took the elastic against his index finger, pulling it back a bit, before releasing his grip on it, chuckling when she squeaked from the stinging feeling it left on her thigh. "You," He breathed to her, his hands cupping her thighs, his fingers edging under her panties. "Make a mess of me, Kitten," He purred to her lowly, smiling when she beamed up at him, her hands slowly wrapping around his neck, meeting his lips in a hungry kiss.

"A sexy mess," She whispered against his lips when they broke away, a quiet chuckle coming from him. "Who wears hair curlers when he sleeps these days."

"Hey, baby," He grinned, sliding his hands under her thighs. "I don't hear any complaints when you're pulling on it. And yes, I am pretty friggin' sexy."

"You're horrible," She teased, a startled moan coming from her when he pressed his right index finger against her clothed flower, pressing against her already-wet slit.

"Am I? I don't hear you saying that when you're screaming my name," He taunted back, slowly rubbing her slit through her panties, smirking when she let out faint moans, her hips moving with his finger slightly.

"S-shut up," She stammered out, her legs shaking slightly, her gaze turning lustful as she stared up at him, biting her lower lip to hold in her moans. He grinned wickedly at her, lifting her up with ease, her fingers dancing against the top clips of his mask softly, disengaging their hold from his mask, her hands taking it off carefully, a quiet yelp coming from her when he tossed her into his bed, his hands already undressing himself the second she was out of them. Setting the mask down on the stand he had on the nightstand, she unbuttoned her top, feeling his eyes watching her as she taunted him further, slowly edging it off of her freckled shoulders, giving him a playful wink, her teeth taking her bottom lip between them.

"Oh, Kitten," He said, his jeans falling soon after he undid his belt, his feet stepping out of it as he crawled on top of his bed, holding himself over her. "Don'tcha know it's rude to tease Daddy?" He whispered to her lowly, his grin growing across his lips when she shuddered at the threatening tone in his voice.

"Maybe Daddy shouldn't tease his Kitten so much," She whispered back to him, sharing the same cocky grin he had, his grin falling briefly, before coming back, wider than before.

"I love when you call yourself mine," He purred to her, his lips meeting hers in a surprisingly sweet kiss, one that she very happily returned. Up until this point, he very rarely kissed her this gentle or sweet - that was something Rhys did; Jack was always rough with his -, and now that he was doing it, she enjoyed every single moment of it, her hands gripping his arms lightly as she laid back, their lips staying together in their deepening kiss, his hands slowly exploring every inch of her upper body, fingers edging under her front bra clasp, undoing it with ease.

Once he broke their kiss, she smiled up at him, moving her hands to his face. "That's because I _am_ yours," She whispered to him sweetly, a smile coming across his face.

"Of course you are, I'm Handsome Goddamn Jack, I always get who I want," He taunted to her, chuckling when she rolled her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. Leaning off of her, he watched as she sat up, pulling her yellow shirt and bra off fully, tossing them to the floor, her eyes watching as he unclipped her stockings, her body shuddering from the feel of his hand tugging her left stocking off her pale leg, before repeating on the other, bringing her calf up to his lips, giving it a harsh bite.

"Is my neck not good enough anymore?" She teased to him, watching as his shoulders moved from his chuckle, her eyes enjoying the muscles flexing when he slid his hands up her legs, gripping her thighs roughly. 

"I think somebody forgot their manners," He teased back, his fingers edging under the waistband of her panties, pulling them toward her knees. She lifted her hips, earning an approval hum in response from him, pulling her legs through the holes of her panties, watching the lustful glint in his eyes twinkle, a mischievous smirk on his face, her grey eyes watching him curiously while he leaned over to her nightstand, pulling out two pairs of handcuffs and her vibrator. "Now, since somebody has been _such_ a bad girl," He started, gripping her hands together in one of his hands, her heart racing at his 'punishment' coming up, her body trembling when the warmth of the handcuffs locking on her wrists hit her cold skin, watching as he attached the second pair to the first, before attaching it to the bed frame, preventing her from touching him. 

She grinned up at him, meeting his gaze with hers. "No blindfold this time?" She mused, her body jumping a bit, feeling the sudden, mild vibrations against her lower lips, a hushed whimper coming from her.

"No, I want you to maintain eye contact with me until you can't, Kitten," He stated, chuckling at her widening eyes and reddening face, his hand moving the vibrator between her lips, her body jolting when it hit her little button, a soft moan coming from her as she closed her eyes, biting her lower lip. "Ah-ah, open them," He demanded, bringing his face close to hers, his heterochromatic eyes staring down at her slowly opening ones, his cocky smirk plastered across his lips as his finger edged the button upward, increasing the intensity of the vibrator, her hips pressing downward and against it as a moan escaped her. She squirmed against the vibrator, moving her hips against it as she trembled, a few moans escaping her, her face staying a bright crimson while she maintained eye contact with him, his smirk only growing, exposing his sharp canines to her. Moving back to his knees, he switched hands, his freed, right index finger pressing against her entrance, daring to enter her every time she moved her hips, but he didn't allow it, humming amusedly at her whines of protests.

"P-please," She breathed out, keeping her gaze locked on his entertained one, her hips pressing against his hand, needing to feel him inside of her.

"Now, now, Kitten," He purred to her lowly, moving his finger away from her entrance, a loud whine of protest coming from her, earning her a chuckle. "If you beg like that, do you know what will happen?"  
"Daddy will fuck me?" She answered a bit too excitedly, biting her bottom lip as she grinned at him, her canines holding her lip partly in her mouth.

He couldn't prevent himself from laughing at her eagerness, his face moving close to hers, lips hovering just barely above hers. "Eventually, yes," He whispered, "But it prolongs your teasing this time."   
"But Daddy," She whispered a whine of protest, his lips capturing hers roughly, stopping any further protests coming from her, grinning against her lips when she returned his kiss hungrily, her body jolting when his finger flicked over the vibrator sensor again, turning it up to the maximum setting, a loud, moan coming from her while her body arched, her eyes closing, despite his wishes. "H-hah, p-please," She pleaded out, her body shuddering at the sudden burst of sensation against her delicate flower. "I-I'm s-s-sorry," She continued to plead, her grey eyes opening to him, seeing his shit-eating grin on his face. He loved making her apologize for her smart mouth. Mostly because it meant he could fuck her brains out, but it was still nice; though typically, he made her further explain why she was sorry, but seeing as it had been so long, he couldn't wait for that.

Switching the vibrator off, he set it aside, his left hand taking his girth in it while his right hand pressed the release on her handcuffs, grinning when she relaxed her arms, her body shuddering when his tip rubbed against her wet slit a few times, before he slowly penetrated her, hushed moans coming from both of them, their eyes locked on one another. She opened her arms up to him, a faint chuckle coming from him as he moved his upper body between them, enjoying the feeling of her tender touch on his face, his lips meeting hers in a sweet, but demanding, kiss while his hips pulled most of his length from her, before he slammed himself completely back inside of her, a loud moan coming from her, her body trembling, but her touch against him remained gentle. She moved her hands into the back of his hair, both of them deepening their kiss when he began to rock his hips roughly in and out of her, each thrust forcing her to moan against his lips, only feeding his high more. Gripping her throat with his right hand, she tilted her head back slightly, feeling his grip tighten around it, choking her ever so slightly, hushed moans erupting from his chest while soft, strained moans came from her, her grey eyes staring up at him, both of her dainty hands gripping his wrist, covering the tattoo on his skin. Keeping a steady, rough pace with his hips, he tightened his grip around her throat, smirking when she let out a shaky breath, her fingers twitching against his skin as her eyes closed, her mouth open, but hardly any noise coming from her - mostly because of his firm pressing on her throat -, but never the less, he enjoyed watching her red face as her body trembled.

Tightening his grip more, she let out a strained gasp, her eyes snapping open to look at his smirking face, her nails digging into his skin very slightly as she pulled on his wrist softly, his grip loosening. "Sorry, Kitten," He purred to her, humming in amusement at her gentle smile, her teeth standing out against her red face and slightly swollen, rosy lips. Releasing his grip on her throat, he cupped her chin, her breathing growing heavier as she tried to hold in her moans, her gaze staying locked on his bi-colored one, feeling his rough thumb run across her bottom lip, pulling it out from between her teeth, grinning when she let out a hushed moan, trying her best to keep her volume down. Moving her hands up, she cupped his cheeks, her fingers dancing along the bottom of his scar, leeching a tiny bit from him before moving her finger, moaning against his lips when his thrusts grew rougher, signaling the nearing of his climax, her muscles gripping his girth tightly, her own peak nearing quickly. 

Normally, she'd be screaming his name, her body and mind overwhelmed from pleasure, but this time was different - for both of them -, it was more sensual than just a quick fuck out of lust. Both of their feelings for one another changed during her last ovulation cycle, and now, Jack was on the same level as Rhys, and he knew it - he could tell from the way she let her guard down around him, the way she spoke to him, and the way those damned eyes of hers gazed at him so lovingly; he could see why Rhys was so protective of her at first if she had been even remotely like this with him, and he was positive she was. Breaking their kiss, his blue and green eyes gazed down into her nearly transparent ones, his body shuddering just slightly when her hands grazed across his neck, stopping on his back, the warmth coming from her leeching, pushing him over the edge, his face burying in the nook of her neck as he let out a hushed moan, her nails digging into his skin lightly, feeling him release his seed inside of her, her own orgasm not far behind his as her legs twitched at his sides, squeezing him, a moan of her own coming from her. Stilling his hips, he panted against her neck, grinning at her rapid heartbeat, hearing her panting heavily next to him, her hands moving to his shoulders and away from the mark, her fingers gingerly brushing against his skin.

"You were gentler than usual," She finally whispered out, arching a brow at his chuckle.

"Believe it or not, Kitten, I do get in the mood for sex more on the sensual side of things," He spoke lowly, sending shivers down her spine, his lips pressing roughly against her skin, his teeth marking her harshly, causing a shuddered gasp to come from her, his hips reluctantly pulling himself out of her.

"Really? Could've fooled me," She murmured back to him, giggling when he chuckled, moving off of her, plopping down next to her, rubbing his face with both of his hands. He moved his hands off of his face, feeling her hand brush against his chest, followed by her head, his heterochromatic eyes gazing down at her with an arched brow, watching her hands play with some of his chest hair. 

_**AN: Smut over.** _

"Something on your mind, Pumpkin?"

"Why were you okay if I did get pregnant?" She finally asked, his brow arching once again at her sudden question.

"Well," He started, resting his head back against the pillow. "Believe it or not, I do actually like kids," He stated, already knowing her eyes rolled, just based on the fact that she moved to sit on his stomach, staring down at him with her eyes, seeming to burn straight through him. "I was curious to learn more about Eridians. It's not like there's many running around anymore. It would've been nice to run tests on them to see what we could learn from your past," He finally admitted, seeing her face fall slightly. "But, Honey," He mumbled, moving to sit up, his hand cupping her face, his bi-colored eyes meeting her grey ones. "I wouldn't use them as just guinea pigs. They'd be my child, I'm not a monster. I wouldn't intentionally put them in harm's way. You know that," He whispered the last part to her, pain flashing across his strong face at the mention of Angel, passively or not. The pain of her betrayal was still fresh to him and probably always would be, and she knew that. She knew that he did what he thought was best for Angel, even if it was a bit unconventional. He didn't want to lose her like he lost his first wife. "But..." He paused, his calloused thumb grazing against her cheek. "Why the sudden question?"

"Well..." She murmured, breaking her gaze from him.

"Are you pregnant?" He asked before she could answer, her eyes widening at his grin. If she was pregnant, that'd mean he'd be even closer to her. And he could have an heir to the Hyperion throne he could trust. 

"No, I'm not pregnant," She stated with a small smile on her lips when his grin fell. "But," She continued, cupping his face in her soft hands. "It's not impossible that I won't be. My fertility is high right now, I have a higher chance of getting pregnant in the next few cycles than ever before."

"Do you... want children?" He finally asked out, his hands moving to her hips, pawing at her skin, realizing neither he nor Rhys had ever asked how she felt about them.

"For a while, I didn't," She admitted sheepishly, her face reddening at his gentle gesture. Ever since he lost his composure on her in the kitchen that day, he had been more gentle with her, showing her his vulnerable side more and more with each passing day. For someone who acted like a narcissistic hardass, he was really just a man who wanted to be loved with a massive fear of being alone - the irony behind it all was that he had been alone for so long, and now that she was in the picture, it was clear he didn't know what to do with himself if she left, even going as far as lying in bed with her and Rhys. "But... After being with you and Rhys... I'm not opposed to the idea. You two have been so supportive of everything. Even when I pushed you two away, you still stayed. While I was gone those two years... You two waited," She mumbled the last part, her thumbs dancing along his cheekbones. "You didn't have to. I fully expected that neither of you would've shown up when I woke up, but you both surprised me and showed up together. And with my Rakks trained to you," She said the last part with a grin, a chuckle coming from him. "I was scared after what happened to my mother," She finally admitted sheepishly, Jack arching a brow. She hardly spoke about her mother. "After she gave birth to me, she contracted an infection that none of us had any way to heal, and along with that, she was trying to pass her powers onto me, which can be fatal to an Eridian. I have no idea why she didn't just heal herself first," She mumbled, her hands moving from his face to his shoulders. He opened his mouth to say something but promptly shut it when she continued, "I blamed myself for her death for a long while. My dad always reassured me it wasn't my fault, but it always felt like it was. I was terrified of love. I took her position as the healer and mediator of our people, but I was frowned upon by the elders. I never sought out a mate and openly said I didn't want children, so when my best friend betrayed me and turned my creation evil... The elders milked the discipline," She mumbled. "Maybe a month later, it was too late to change my mind and I was fleeing to the Vault. Even after you woke me up, I still was adamant about not having kids, but now that I _actually_ have mates... I'm not opposed to it," She finally finished, her grey gaze shifting back to his soft one. He knew she had a troubled past, but never would've guessed she'd be as flawed as she was, especially given the way she presented herself. That only made his blood boil more. She had overcome everything from her past only for Katagawa to shove it back onto her.

"Did..." He paused. "Did Katagawa force himself on you?" He asked through clenched teeth, his gaze staring at her seriously.

"No, I don't think so," She answered sincerely, her fingertips grazing along his neck. "I think I would've felt it if he had."

"Good," He breathed out, relaxing just slightly. He still would make Katagawa pay for what he did to her, but at least he could put his mind to ease about that. 

She shifted against him. "Jack," She started, meeting his gaze with her own. "I..." She sheepishly looked away, her face reddening.

"You?" He asked with his shit-eating grin present on his face. He knew what she was going to _try_ to say, she had said it months ago.

"I..." She paused, shifting her eyes back to his, her lips pressing sweetly to his in a fevered kiss, one that he gladly returned, his hands gripping her hips snugly in his hands. "I love you," She whispered to him when they broke their kiss, her face flaring a bright crimson while her eyes gazed down into his, showing her sincerity behind her words.

"I love me too," He teased to her, chuckling when she rolled her eyes, a grin on her face. "I... Love you, too, Adelia," He breathed out to her, the crushing reality that he had fallen for her settling in on him, now that he had heard her say those three words to him in the right state of mind. He did love her. He'd kill whoever she wanted if it meant it'd keep her happy. She also didn't seem to care about his money, despite him repeatedly telling her he takes thousands of dollars out just to bathe in it sometimes - which she just rolled her eyes to. She beamed down at him, taking his lips on hers again, both of them sharing a passionate, loving kiss.

* * *

It had been three and a half months since then. Zer0 was found and recovered, fine, but definitely weary. Katagawa had stolen his technology set-up - his sword, cloaking technology, suit, etc - and tried to buy him off of Rhys, but he refused, mostly because of what he saw happen to Adelia. The war with Maliwan had waged hard and long, Katagawa Senior nearly dying in the process before giving up his son, who was now a prisoner of the Crimson Raiders. Jack wanted to and did torture him himself, by ripping out his ECHO devices forcibly - using a spoon to gouge out the ECHO eye and a dull knife to cut and pull out the ECHO implant in his forehead -, beating him relentlessly like he had done to Adelia, only, he didn't kill him, he wanted Katagawa to suffer the way she had, even going as far as breaking his fingers and one of his legs, but after torturing him for a week, he decided it'd be best to let the bandits have their fun with him - which they did; he had practically turned into Ellie's maid, despite his broken bones - because if he didn't stop, he would've killed him, and he deserved far worse than death.

Adelia's ovulation cycle came and went and she was in the recovery process, much like Rhys and Jack were - this one and the last one had definitely been more than they bargained for and all three were exhausted. The only difference? Adelia didn't have her symptoms like she usually did, which meant... She was pregnant, and she knew she was, but she wouldn't tell them. Things could still happen and she could lose the embryo if she wasn't careful, and in that situation, she'd rather deal with the loss on her own. Jack and Rhys had definitely been less than careful this time, and she wasn't in her right mind to remind them not to, but she was strong enough for a pregnancy, she knew she could handle it if things came down to that. Rhys had definitely noticed the difference with her this time compared to last time, whereas Jack didn't notice much of a difference - he was too finding new board members for the Tediore branch since Tediore himself decided to retire early and the board members tried to rise up against Jack. Which honestly, didn't end well for them. They were all taken out with a single bullet or tossed into an airlock. Along with her new pregnancy, she had gotten most of her strength back, a lot of it thanks to Alex. With her knowing she wasn't the last one alive, it definitely eased her mind quite a bit, which allowed her to take more than she usually did with smaller repercussions. Jack, of course, still wasn't pleased about Alex and Timothy's relationship, but begrudgingly, he accepted it. After everything Tim had done for him, it was the least he could do, and with Adelia working with him through all of his emotions, he had grown to be nicer - but only to their group. When it came to the others or bandits, he was far colder than he had ever been.

She had started to distance herself from Jack just slightly and give more time to Rhys now that the war was over - for now. Jack wasn't happy about it, but he understood - she had given him more time and attention than she had been able to give Rhys over the last few months. She had a vision of Rhys in danger on Promethea, but from what she could tell, it was years from now, and both Jack and Rhys agreed to relax a bit. She'd probably see another vision when it got closer to the time, just as she had done before. Promethea was thriving, crops were growing regularly, people were coming and touring the planet, buying Atlas guns and making Rhys and Jack _a lot_ more money. The planet itself had started to grow more, becoming known as the "planet of lights", holding night clubs, partying alleys, and more, but there was close to no danger. With Jack and Rhys working on making new Atlas bots based on Hyperion's, the bandit and crime rate was lower now than it had ever been. Pandora itself had started to grow safer with the help of Adelia instructing Jack, something he didn't think was possible without the help of the Warrior. 

Opportunity had also established a second base not far from the first one, Jack naming it Opportunity 2 for a while, until Adelia suggested naming it after Angel to honor her death. He had mixed feelings, but she reassured him he was making the right decisions now, and honestly, he felt like he was, too. With Adelia by his side, he had started to see things more clearly than he had before, even changing the bar in his casino from "Foxxi's" to "Addy's", in honor of what Rhys called her. She was honestly embarrassed about it, but it was cute to know he felt that way about her. He also had removed the picture of Moxxi from his office there, replacing it with a portrait of Angel instead, releasing Timothy from the casino's hold, as per Adelia's request, saying she'd rather have Timothy close in case things went south.

Timothy was now residing with Alex in Angel's Hold - previously Opportunity 2 - making it seem as if Jack regularly stayed there. As agreed upon, Alex and Timothy were never public beyond eating dinner or something together - something Jack wasn't unheard of doing with Rhys.

_**Now... Promethea (12:25 PM)** _

_**AN: Sudden (but short) smut.** _

Rhys thrust his hips harder, his hands gripping her hips, holding her still as they moaned each other's names, her hands tied up hastily in his tie, reminding her to not touch him. He was too drained to take another leeching from her, but still, he was enjoying the feel of her inner walls gripping his girth, enjoying the view of her laid out across his desk, his papers thrown everywhere around them. Moving his cybernetic hand up, he ran the cold metal across her hardened, swollen, rosy bud, a sharp inhale coming from her as she arched her back against his hand, her grey eyes shut, enjoying the pleasure she was getting from _her_ Rhysie. Grasping her breast roughly, he quickened his pace, leaning down to take her right nipple between his teeth, giving it a harsh suckle, chuckling when her legs squeezed his sides lightly, a sharp exhale coming from him, feeling her wrap her legs around his waist, pulling her deeper inside of her tight walls.

"Fuck, Addy," He moaned against her breast, his tongue dancing along her areola, taunting her rosy bud farther, grinning up at her blissfully unaware face. Straightening up just slightly, he moved his metal hand to the desk, holding himself up, his hips strategically pounding in and out of her, hitting her just right, each thrust eliciting a louder moan than before, his bi-colored, brown eyes gazing over her bruised body. He had definitely had fun marking her this time - her neck, chest, and ribs were all littered with small hickeys he left on her pale skin, her rosy-colored nipples, swollen from his sucking and nibbling, and her lips, slightly bruised and swollen from their aggressive makeout session. 

"H-hah, B-baby, I-I'm-" She started to stammer out, her walls clenching his throbbing girth tightly, pulsating around it as her back arched, her legs squeezing him tightly as she climaxed around him, screaming his name. Giving his hips a few more rough thrust, he couldn't stop himself from filling her as he slowed his thrusts, both of them moaning the other's name this time, her back resting back against his wooden desk, both of them panting, their clothes mostly discarded on the floor next to his desk, only his tie staying on them. Pulling himself out of her slowly, his lips taking hers in a gentle, loving kiss - one that she excitedly returned -, giggling against his lips when he pulled her into a sitting position, untying his sloppy knot on her wrists, his forehead resting against hers once he broke their kiss.

"You sure are horny this time," He whispered to her, his honey-colored eye slowly powering back on as he stared into her eyes. "Are you sure you're alright? Not that I'm complaining."

 _ **AN: Smut over**_.

"Well..." She sheepishly started, her grey eyes staying on his. "It's too early to tell, but-"  
"You're pregnant?" He cut her off with a childlike grin, slowly moving away from her to slide her lacey, white panties up her legs slightly, feeling hands rest against his shoulders as she stood.

"... Yes," She shyly said, his hands stilling at her sides, staring down at her with an overly-excited grin. "You and Jack have been more and more excited about this since I said I could get pregnant. What gives?" She questioned, sliding her arms through the red, short-sleeve button-up only after he slid on her matching, white, lacey bra. She adjusted her busty breasts into her cups and clipped it close, giving them a final adjustment before buttoning up her shirt, watching as he started to slide his boxers and jeans on.

"You know," He started, staring at her, adjusting his girth inside of his boxers, watching her as she walked around, still not wearing her skirt, his eyes staring at her ass as she bent down, picking up the papers they had knocked off in their endeavors. "I don't really know," He confessed, his cheeks blushing at his answer. "Maybe it's the mark?"

"Hm..." She hummed in thought, setting the neat stack of papers down. "It could be," She agreed, her fingers trailing across his desk as she made her way back to him, bending down to pick up her black skirt, sliding it up, turning her back to him. Tossing his shirt over his shoulder, he slipped her skirt up with a chuckle, his hands slowly moving around her, caressing her stomach lightly. "Or maybe," She whispered, slowly turning in his arms, her hands cupping his cheeks. "You two just love me that much," She teased, grinning when he chuckled.

"Well, I do love you, Baby," He admitted, his hands moving up to cup her cheeks, the cold touch from his cybernetic hand sending shivers down her spine. "I really, really do. I'm in love with you. Everything about you," He continued to murmur to her, her face turning redder with each word, a cheesy grin on her face.

"I'm in love with you, too, Babe," She whispered back to him, her hands moving to cup his hands in hers. "Everything about you. I'm glad I got to meet you and I'm glad you didn't leave," She said the last part softly, her face reddening even more.

"I'm glad I didn't, either," He mumbled back to her, their lips meeting in a sweet kiss again.

"Oi, are you just going to stand there, kissin' on her, or are ya gonna actually deal with your duties?" Lorelei said, coming into the office with Zer0 behind. It was no secret that Zer0 was oddly attracted to Lorelei, or at least, he was very easily flustered. Despite her doubt about Adelia at first, she did warm up to her - or at least, as warm as she'd get, she'd address her as the co-CEO but refused to be alone with her unless she had no other choice, and when she was, Zer0 usually agreed to take her place. He didn't feel any differently toward her than he did the time he saved her - to him, she was the peacekeeper for the universe. She singlehandedly calmed Jack down, had him rebuild Atlas, stopped the mindless war between the Crimson Raiders and Hyperion, had the bandit problem fairly under control with Jack willing to cooperate instead of constantly starting a fight with him and the others. All parties had mostly given up Vault hunting - for now, mostly because Adelia warned them that something far bigger was coming if they didn't stop.

"Yeah, yeah, we're going," Rhys said, slowly unwrapping himself from her, sliding his white shirt over his head, pulling his vest up as he walked toward the door, Adelia following behind him soon after, her black flats nearly soundless as she walked behind him. Normally, she'd wear heels, but she really didn't like wearing hills while walking through dirt, and since Rhys and Jack were adamant about her not being barefoot, flats were their alternative.

Once they had finished, Rhys grabbed his briefcase full of papers, closing it with a grin to her. "Ready?" He asked, turning to look at her staring out the large windows in his office.

"Of course, Rhysie," She responded, turning to face him with a breathtaking smile, walking with him over to the fast travel station. "Hey, Baby?" She asked, gripping his wrist lightly, stopping him from entering the code to send them to Jack's house. "Jack doesn't know yet, and, if I miscarry, I'd rather him not know. Can we...?" She mumbled, trailing off.

He grinned, leaning down to kiss her forehead gently. "Of course, Baby," He whispered, pressing the enter key, the two of them materializing.

* * *

_**At Jack's... (3:45 PM)**_

Rhys and Jack had ultimately decided Rhys would just live with him on Helios instead of making Adelia go back and forth. Rhys knew that Jack was close to her and hated to be away from her and honestly didn't mind sharing the bed with the two of them, especially since Jack had upgraded his and her bed with a larger, custom made one. The only time she slept in Jack's room with him alone was when she was coming out of her ovulation cycle or sick, so he could watch her since Rhys usually had to leave early in the mornings, plus, he could get her into the doctor a lot faster than Rhys ever could. 

Unlocking the door, Adelia and Rhys stood in the doorway, watching the Loader bots moving around boxes, loud noises coming from Jack's room. "Jack?" Adelia called out, stepping inside with Rhys behind her.

"Oh, hey, Pumpkin, Kiddo," Jack said, poking his head out from the hallway, making his way over to them, still dressed in his work attire. 

"What's uh... What're you up to there, Jack?" She asked, watching him sip on a smoothie.

"I'm sipping on a smoothie," He answered smartassedly, holding it out to her. "Want a sip?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose, "No, Jack. I don't want a sip of your smoothie. I meant, what was with the loader bots?"

Rhys slowly made his way to their bedroom, setting his briefcase down on the bed, leaving the two of them to talk amongst themselves, peeking his head down to Jack's room, watching the Loader bots bang things around in there, his eyes widening at the giant expansion being added onto the house by several Hyperion workers and bots.

Slowly, he backed up, hearing Adelia complaining about all the bots in the house and the noise, seeing Jack's cocky grin on his face. "Calm down, Kitten. I'm just making my room bigger," He finally said, glancing back at Rhys briefly. "I already moved the bed in there," He continued, cutting her off before she could speak. "It would've been done by the time you two _usually_ get home."

"Why?" She asked, crossing her arms across her chest.  
"I want to sleep in _my_ room," He answered, mimicking her posture, his smoothie being gripped in his hand.

"You don't _have_ to sleep with us," She countered, keeping her gaze on him, Rhys pinching the bridge of his nose with his cybernetic hand. These two always argued about the stupidest shit.

"I don't?" He questioned with a smirk, purposely (and loudly) sipping on his smoothie. "The way you friggin' cling to me some nights says otherwise."

"You're insufferable," She said with a reddened face, her grey eyes glancing over at Rhys. "But, _fine_ , Rhysie and I will go occupy ourselves."  
"Without me? I'm hurt, Kitten," He taunted, glancing back at Rhys.  
"We will?" Rhys asked, blinking his eyes, staring at her, ignoring Jack. 

"Yup and yup," She said, turning her back, walking toward the door. "Someone's gotta stay with the bots and stuff, after all. C'mon, Rhysie."

"Uh..." Rhys started, nervously looking between Jack and her back.

"Go ahead, Kiddo," Jack said with a cocky grin. He knew she was taunting him. Rhys knew she was taunting him. And she knew she was taunting him. But that was alright, he'd get her back soon. 

Rhys glanced at him before quietly following behind Adelia, meeting her at the fast travel station. "You two really argue over so many tiny things," He mumbled, glancing at her.

"I wouldn't say argue, it's more like we mess with each other," She said with a grin, looking over at him. "We're not really mad with each other, you know that. I do the same thing to you sometimes."

He chuckled, saying nothing as he slid his arm around her waist, watching as she punched in the code for his office in Promethea, feeling himself dematerializing with her.

* * *

_**Back on Promethea...** _

"I wanted to go to Pandora, but I figured you wanted some of your frogurt first," She smiled, walking alongside Rhys, her right hand in his left one, enjoying the warmth coming from it.

"You know me _so_ well, Baby," He grinned, glancing down at her, opening the door to his favorite frogurt place, holding it open for her. She walked in front of him, smiling at the two kids who came running up to her.

"Miss Addy, Miss Addy!" The boy exclaimed with a toothless grin, his brown eyes twinkling in excitement as he stared at her, his skin, a tanned brown.

"Go ahead, Rhysie, it's fine," She said at his expression - a slight smile, but he really wanted that frogurt. Squatting down so she was eye-level with the boy, she smiled at him. "What is it, Jacob?" She asked, laughing when he proudly beamed, pointing to the new hole in his teeth.

"I lost another tooth!" He exclaimed proudly, placing his hands on his sides.

"I see that! How many is that now? Five?" She asked with a smile, her grey eyes shifting up to Rhys, who was now eating on his dill-pickle frogurt, watching her interact with the kids. He did walk around with her a lot, but he never watched her interact with the children up close like this, and honestly, it was pretty adorable to him to see her interacting with them. He couldn't stop his mind from trailing off, imagining her interacting with _their_ kids. To him, he firmly believed she'd make a good mother, just based on how she handled the children here, and, not to mention, her past - the caretaking of the kids while the mothers rested.

"Yup!" He said, huffing when the young sister of his shoved him out the way.

"Miss Addy, I made you something!" The young girl with similar brown eyes exclaimed, holding out a messy drawing to her. "It's you and Mister Rhys!" She beamed as Adelia took the picture from her. In the picture were two figures holding hands with one another, and she could very clearly tell it was Rhys being the taller one, mostly because of his eye. "And back here is Mister Grumpy!" She said with a giggle, a giggle of her own escaping her at a frowning face in the background.

"It's not nice to call someone grumpy, Marie," She chastised with a smile. "Though he can be really grumpy," She added on in a whisper, the young girl clapping excitedly, giggling. "Thank you, I love it," She said, hugging the tiny girl who held her hands out to her, wanting a hug.

"Now, now, children, I think Miss Adelia would like to spend time with Mister Rhys," A short (but still taller than Adelia), chubby woman with brown eyes, tanned skin, and dark hair said, ushering the kids away, glancing down at Adelia as she stood back upright, adjusting her skirt. She let out a soft noise of amusement, causing Adelia's grey eyes to glance at her curiously. "Anyone ever tell you that you'd make a great mother?" She asked, both their heads shifting as the siblings ran around with each other just outside the window. "While Rhys talks stuff out with Frank, you always manage to keep the kids occupied. I don't understand why they took to you so well, they're usually so shy of strangers," She continued, lost in thought. "Maybe it's the motherly vibe you give off."

Adelia smiled, her cheeks flushing a bit at the passive compliments. "No, nobody's told me that," She answered, laughing a bit. "I just figured the Marie and Jacob wouldn't want to sit through the boring business part of the meeting," She continued, smiling at the two kids running around. "Motherly vibe? That's a new one, though."

"Well, it's true, dear. You radiate motherly energy. You have so much patience, especially with those two knuckleheads of yours," She added on, nudging Adelia, both of their eyes shifting to Rhys, who was sitting down, eating on his frogurt, giving a wave to the two of them, a quiet laugh coming from them.

"They can be knuckleheads, but they're not that bad," She reassured the older female, her eyes widening slightly when Marie fell down, but quickly got back up, chasing after her older brother. "Those two sure do have a lot of energy. I hope I can have two kids..." She murmured the last part out before she could stop herself, Maude turning to look at her.

"What do you mean you hope?" She asked, keeping her tone quiet. "You're so young! You shouldn't have to worry about-"  
"Maude, it's not about age," Adelia answered in a hushed tone, her left hand instinctively rubbing her stomach, shifting her gaze away from the older lady, trying to come up with an explanation that wouldn't out her further - Maude knew she was a Siren, and she didn't care, she agreed to keep it secret since Adelia had been so nice to her family, but as far as she knew, Adelia was a human Siren, not an Eridian. "My body doesn't... produce eggs easily," She finally mumbled out.

"Well, I'm sure there are treatments-"

"They wouldn't work. My body doesn't react well with medicine," Adelia stopped her in a defeated tone, Maude's face softening, reaching out to hug her tightly, a comforting, motherly hug that she didn't know she needed, one that she gladly returned. 

"Well, sweetie," She said with a grin. "There is surrogacy, and I know between your two knuckleheads, you can afford someone to carry kids for ya," She reassured, Adelia smiling at her. Maude had no idea that it wouldn't work out the way she was thinking it would, but Adelia wouldn't discourage the idea. "Besides, I know that glow," She continued, gripping her shoulders. "And the way you've been holding your stomach the last few days. You're pregnant, aren't you?"

"Maude, keep it down," She said as a few onlookers turned to glance, a juicy rumor falling on their ears to get their attention. 

"So who's is it?" Maude questioned quietly with a sly grin, nudging her side with her elbow. "Rhys isn't that bad lookin', I'm rooting for him."

"Maude," Adelia sighed exasperated, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's too early to get excited, I could still-"  
"No, sweetie," She said, gripping Adelia's shoulders again. "You need to be excited. From what I heard from Rhys, this is something he's wanted for a while-"  
"Oh my God," Adelia said in embarrassment, more onlookers turning toward them as Rhys quickly stood up, talking over to them.

"Jack wants us back on Helios," Rhys said, coming up with an excuse off the top of his head. He knew Maude could be a bit much.

"Sorry, it looks like my other knucklehead needs me," Adelia said, relief washing over her features.

"Take care of yourselves," Maude said, giving a small wave as Rhys quickly led Adelia away. 

"Are you okay, Baby?" Rhys asked, wrapping his arm around her waist, leading her down the strip and back toward Atlas HQ.

"Yeah, I'm fine," She responded softly, glancing up at him. "I know she only has the best intentions but she can be a bit much. But one thing is bothering me... Did you tell them you've been wanting a child with me?"

"Huh?" He asked, taken aback by her answer. "Oh," He finally realized, blinking. "Yeah, I had to come up with an excuse as to why you weren't with me last time."

"Of all excuses, you come up with something like that?" She questioned, pinching his side lightly, grinning when he squirmed away from her but kept his hand on hers. 

"You know I hate lying," He retorted, pinching her cheek with his cybernetic hand, the cold metal sending a slight shiver down her spine. 

"Rhysie," She stopped walking, looking up at him. He arched a brow, turning to face her. "Pregnancy for Eridians can and usually last the same time as humans," She murmured, watching him take both her hands in his. "But our symptoms can be different."

"Let's go inside before we talk about this," He said, pulling her close to him, his cool, metal arm wrapping around her shoulders, leading her inside.

Once they were inside his office, she took her place in his lap, despite her complaints of wanting to sit on the desk, her legs hanging off the side of his chair as he tapped on his keyboard, answering a few emails he had pulled up in his ECHO eye. "So," He started, hearing her yawn a bit, her hands resting on her stomach lightly. "The doors are locked and I'm listening," He said softly, his lips pressing against the side of her forehead gently, a shy smile coming to her lips as her face flushed a light red.

"Well," She started, shifting slightly in his lap, resting her head against his shoulder. "As I was saying... Our pregnancies can last as long as humans, but our embryos develop much faster. By the end of the first month, I'll have a heartbeat and some movement. For our pregnancy, it'd be like comparing a human pregnancy to two years. It takes a lot more out of us, especially since most Eridians are born Sirens. Once we hit the second trimester, our babies start to absorb our power so they can be healthy Eridians when they're born. If they don't get enough from me, they can end up with a serious illness early in life or more human than Eridian," She explained, seeing his brows raise at the two-year comparison. "I still have the exhaustion most humans have, and I may still have the morning or night sickness and sensitivity to smells and certain foods and textures, but I won't be as sick as I was before. I'll also grow hornier by the day for the first trimester and start to mellow out in the second," She said the last part quickly, his hand stilling at her words, a low chuckle coming from him.

"So basically, it'll be like an on-going ovulation cycle?" He asked, his left hand cupping her knees gently.

"Essentially, yes, except I'll probably have to meet with Alex frequently. He'll be able to share some extra power with me if you two can't handle it," She answered honestly, her skin flooding in goosebumps from his touch. "During the third trimester, I'll want to sleep more than anything, to prepare my body for the process - I can give birth at any time, so I have to be mindful of my stress. I'll still be awake and stuff, but I'll be sleepy like I was when I woke up fresh out of the Vault," Pausing, she glanced up at him, seeing him nod, shifting his gaze to her for a brief second, giving her a sweet smile, showing he was listening. "I won't get big necessarily, but I will have a very noticeable bump, so at least you shouldn't have to buy me a lot of new clothes," She teased, both of them laughing. "I won't know which one of you is the father until my pregnancy is stable, usually after the first month if I'm careful."  
"So you're almost there," He added on, sliding his hand up her thigh slowly, grinning when she shuddered. Between him and Jack, they had all of her spots figured out and knew _exactly_ how to touch her to make her tremble.

"I still have a week," She answered, her left hand moving to grip his hand, stopping it. "I'm not in the mood right now, Rhysie, please," She pleaded to him. "I'm trying to have a serious talk with you."  
"Alright, alright," He complied, moving his hand back to her knee, smiling down at her. "I'll behave. But, what was the point of the birth control if you could still get pregnant?"

"I wanted to please Doctor Samuel. If I denied it, do you _really_ think it would've faired well for me?"

"Fair point, he can be terrifying. But why lie and say it'd work after a while?"

"Because it worked when I was fresh off my cycle and could still get pregnant, but when I'm _on_ my cycle, it lost some of its effectiveness," She explained, looking up at him. "If my fertility hadn't spiked, it probably still would've worked, so it wasn't a lie. I just wasn't expecting it to spike as much as it has." He made a soft hum in acknowledgment, going back to his emails - he'd rather deal with these now before they headed back. "But, Rhysie..." She mumbled, looking away from him.

"What is it, Addy?" He asked softly, turning his eye off to gaze down at her, his hand moving from her knee to cup her cheek, his thumb gently grazing along her skin.

"I love you," She whispered to him with a grin, shifting her devious gaze back to him.

"You made me think I upset you," He whispered to her, bringing his lips close to hers. "But, I love you, Baby," And with that, he pressed his lips to hers sweetly, his hand moving from her cheek to her stomach. "And I love this baby, even if it's Jack's and not mine."

"What did I do to deserve meeting you?" She murmured sweetly to him, her breathtaking smile present on her lips, her hand cupping his. The truth was, she knew already knew who they belonged to, but she'd wait until she told them.

"I ask myself that every day," He purred back to her just as sweetly, his lips taking hers again.


	27. Chapter 27

A month and a half had come and gone. Adelia's pregnancy had stabilized and Rhys had no problem keeping up with her after they met with Alex the first time; since Alex didn't need nearly as much as a female Eridian needed, he was more than happy to share some of his power with them once the situation had come to light. Seeing as male Eridians produce a lot of energy to support their mates once they fell pregnant, Alex had an abundant supply and agreed to meet with Rhys whenever necessary - it was the least he could do, seeing as he regarded her as a mother to him. However, they still had no intention to tell Jack right now, and, given the stress he was under trying to find new board members, it seemed like a good decision, though, seeing as she had started to develop a small bump on her stomach, and Jack had his own ideas, mostly bad ones, but still, ideas. She still hadn't come clean about who the father was to Rhys and he seemed to have forgotten all about it.

Everything was still peaceful, as far as anyone was concerned. Jack had started to revert to his old ways, but she always stopped him before he went too far, but now, he had the suspicion she was hiding something from him. Something that would make him hate her, a betrayal of sorts, more than likely.

_**Now... Jack's House (2:45 PM)** _

Jack was in the kitchen preparing their dinner for the night, peeling potatoes for his scalloped potatoes while Adelia helped cut them, her hands stiffening when she felt a slight kick in her stomach. "You alright there, Honey?" Jack asked, glancing over at her, lowering his knife. Seeing as she still had quite a bit of Eridian in her, her babies were developing quickly, as expected. In a normal, human pregnancy, she'd be around four months. The only thing she wasn't looking forward to was the three months of unbearable sleepiness at the end. After she finishes up her first trimester, her fetuses would be nearly fully developed. After the fourth month, they'd be completely developed. The last five were just so they could absorb power from her, to be strong, healthy, and harbor a lot of typical Eridian abilities - like the quick healing. The only thing she hated was that she couldn't tell the gender of her babies, but she wanted it to be a surprise.

"I'm fine," She said with a strained smile, trying not to give much away, going back to cutting the potatoes for him, setting them down in the bowl under her hands. She bit the inside of her cheek, fighting back the urge to vomit, her hands running under the cool water, his eyes watching her closely. Finishing up the potato he was peeling, he pulled the knife out of her shaking hand, his heterochromatic eyes staring at her.

"Stop lying to me," He whispered threateningly to her, his arms resting on either side of her, preventing her escape, watching her wash her hands quickly before she turned to face him. "What's been going on with you this last friggin' month? You've been hornier than usual. I mean hell, I woke up to you riding me the other day, not that I'm complaining, it was nice, but the point remains," He leaned closer to her, his eyes burning into hers. "You also have been entirely more willing to incorporate Rhys in our plays when you didn't care for it."

He squinted his eyes, her cheeks flushing as she broke her gaze away from him. "W-well..."

"You've been sleeping a lot more, too. Something you barely do unless you're intimate with me or Rhys, or when you came out of the Vault," He pressed further, his breath warm against her face as his eyes saw through her.

"Jack, you've been so stressed, I didn't know how to tell you, I'm sorry-"  
"Tell me _what_?" He said, cutting off her apology, his hands gripping the sink roughly. She had been around Alex and Timothy more than before. He could see it in the tracker in her ECHO device. Did she mark them, too? Without telling him?  
"Jack, I..." She paused, fidgeting beneath his stare, taking a shaky breath. "I'm pregnant."

He blinked slowly, his bi-colored eyes meeting her stern, grey gaze, showing the truth to him. He felt foolish for thinking she'd betray him - she hadn't before and even now, with his random bursts of violence, she still didn't. She would just hold him until he calmed down. "Pregnant?" The word left his lips in a soft whisper. He couldn't believe what she said. "Who's-"

"Both," She mumbled sheepishly, cutting him off, her left hand moving to hold her stomach lightly. "Twins... Both of you have one," She smiled slightly, her eyes lifting back to his. "There was another, but..." She paused, her smile faltering a bit. 

"Twins," He repeated just as softly as before, slowly leaning away from her, watching as she caressed her stomach slightly. He hadn't even realized. He knew something was going on, but the thought of pregnancy never crossed his mind, especially with all of the board member bullshit going on. "Holy shit, we're havin' twins!" He exclaimed, gripping her hands in his, beaming down at her, her smile matching his. "Does Rhys-"

"Yes," She answered. "Well, kind of. He doesn't know it's twins. He figured out I was pregnant before I even fully realized," She explained. "I was going to Alex so he could help Rhys control how much I leech and give some of his power to Rhys. Since you were so stressed, I tried not to leech off of you, but Rhys was having a hard time keeping up by himself. I didn't want to lose another, and since Alex is also a healing Eridian, he can share his power with others."  
"Kitten, I wouldn't have cared," He reassured her, his right hand releasing his grip on her hands, his calloused thumb caressing along her cheek. "I would have rathered you be friggin' honest with me to begin with, but I have never complained about you leeching from me. Except for the first time."

"The first time is always the hardest," She agreed, smiling up at him. "Did you think I was cheating on you or something?" She mused, her smile turning into a smirk when he shifted his eyes from her. "Do you have that little faith in _your_ kitten, Daddy?"

"Keep talking like that and I'll _make_ you my Kitten again," He whispered to her lowly and threateningly, smirking when her body shuddered at the thought. "But after I get this finished," He added on, moving his hands from her, grinning at her pouty face, going back to his original position, knife in hand, this time, cutting the potato he had just finished peeling. She hummed in amusement, wrapping her arms around him from behind, pressing her breasts obnoxiously against his bare back, her hardened, rosy buds pressing against his skin, making him still his hands once again. "You're playin' with fire, Adelia," He spoke lowly, an amused grin on his face.

_**AN: Slight smut** _

"Am I?" She asked, her lips pressing softly against the mark on his back, his body shuddering at her gentle, affectionate gesture, her hands roaming across his toned body. "Or are you?" She added on in a hushed whisper, her hands edging inside of his pants, fingertips dancing across his flaccid girth that gladly started to spring to life at her touch, his jaw tensing to bite back his groan. His body shuddered again when her soft lips pressed against his back once again, kissing along one of his many scars while her dainty hands took his large, gradually hardening girth between them. Taunting him further, she caressed his tip with her thumbs, the softness of her touch escalating things, causing a small bead of pre-cum to seep from his slit, a low groan coming from him. "You should probably get back on those potatoes," She purred to him, a smirk playing on her lips that he could feel, his hips jolting forward slightly as her hands started to jerk him off painstakingly slow, his hands gripping the sink, the knife and potato completely forgotten and discarded in the water. "Or is Daddy enjoying his Kitten's teasing?" She continued to murmur, her lips leaving yet another gentle kiss on his skin, this time, on a different scar that was there long before she came into the picture. He had so much to say to her in that moment, but all that could come to mind was one thing.

"Fuck, I love you so fuckin' much," He whispered out, a slight moan coming from him when her hands tightened their grip, quickening their pace.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you," She teased, turning things on him, using the line he _loved_ to use on her when she was incoherent. 

He chuckled, running his tongue across the sharp tips of his canines, his hands picking up his potato and knife once again, peeling it. "Nothin', Pumpkin," He teased back, feeling her smirk pressing against his skin again, another soft kiss sending bumps flying across his skin.

"Really? Because your heart tells me it's not just 'nothin''," She whispered to him, her grip tightening on his girth, a grunt coming from him, but he persisted, his jaw clenching, doing his best to ignore the provocative movements she was making on his length, though, his hips did betray him, his hips pumping with her painful, slow movements, wanting more. He'd get her back for this, though, a sadistic smirk on his face, his cock throbbing in her hands at the thought of her mewling beneath him, begging for more, but right now, he was over the moon with the fact that she was pregnant. With his child. A second chance, and this time, if they turned into a Siren, well... He had her to help him. A normal family, something he's wanted since the day he met his first wife.

Feeling her warm touch leave his girth, his body betrayed him, a disappointed groan coming from him as his member twitched, longing to be touched again. "Oh, _Kitten_ ," He said, putting extra emphasis on her nickname, "You're in _so_ much trouble when I finish this potato," He added with a grin, but his grin soon fell, feeling her hands caress his mark, the familiar warmth of her leeching from him washing over him. An odd feeling, definitely - she never leeched from him without sex. He knew she did it to Rhys when she felt weak, but to _him_? Never.

_**AN: Slight smut over** _

"Am I?" She questioned sleepily, her hands moving away soon after she reached his limit, not wanting to absorb too much from him, her head resting against his back. She was tired, her exhaustion had won her over; she knew pregnancy would do this, but to have two taking her energy, it doubled her expected exhaustion.

Staying quiet, Jack cut the last potato she had done, then his own, quickly, dropped the perfectly sliced pieces into the waterfilled sink, moving the faucet back over to the other side, washing his hands with a bit of soap and water, drying his hands quickly, turning to take a swaying Adelia in his arms. "Honey?" He asked softly, worry in his voice, watching as her head turned upward, giving him a sleepy smile.

"I'm okay," She reassured, sliding her hands around his neck, his hands sliding under her thighs, lifting her up. He had learned, the only time she ever did that without messing in his hair was when she wanted to be carried. "I'm just sleepy all of a sudden."  
"But you-"

"Mm," She groaned, resting her head against his shoulder, her hands brushing against his mark again, feeling the warmth coming from her touch as she leeched more from him. "I was trying to wait so I could get better absorption, but they decided they couldn't," She mumbled against his neck, closing her eyes.

"I'm back- What happened?" Rhys asked as soon as he was through the door, seeing Adelia nearly passed out in Jack's arm, the familiar purple glow coming from his back and her hand.

"I don't know," Jack confessed, swaying slightly with her in his arms. She was taking far too much from him far too quickly. "Kitten, you need to slow down," He said, slowly moving to set her down, but she stayed wrapped around him, her hands digging into his mark lightly.

"Addy," Rhys said quickly, having now made his way to them, his cybernetic hand prying her left hand off of Jack's back, a slight burn mark appearing on Jack's back. " _Addy_!" He said more sternly, seeing Adelia's body shift, her hands falling from Jack's now-burnt back, but it didn't bother him. He had much worse. He felt her legs unwrap from him, her hands slowly sliding up, gripping the sides of his throat lightly.

"Shit, I'm so sorry," She said quickly, the exhaustion present on her face, a soft glow coming from her fingers as the burns healed up fairly quickly, but that was all. The burning sensation still remained, as did his sudden exhaustion.

"C'mon," Rhys said, taking her from the swaying Jack, who caught himself on the counter, gritting his teeth. He knew it was an accident, but it didn't change his anger. He had no idea what was going on, but he did know three things were certain; he was tired, his back hurt, and he wanted to know what the _fuck_ just happened.

Turning his gaze to the couch, he saw a light purple light coming from where the two of them were probably sitting. His potatoes were mostly done now, all he had to do was put them in the oven. And that could wait until later. Stumbling to the couch, he practically collapsed next to them, his erection now long gone, his heterochromatic eyes shifting to see her resting in Rhys's lap, a hand hidden in the front of his shirt, leeching from him. "What the fuck just happened?" He finally breathed out.

Moving his cybernetic hand up, Rhys pinched the bridge of his nose. "She's pregnant," He said.

"Yeah, we established that earlier," Jack retorted with a snort.

"The baby absorbs her power and makes her weaker briefly, at certain time intervals. That's why I'm _usually_ home around this time. She gets exhausted and can go into a fight or flight phase and leech too much, just like she did to you. That is, unless she can start leeching before her body enters that fight or flight, otherwise, she knows and is careful," Rhys explained softly, his cybernetic hand moving to cup Adelia's, moving it a bit, a similar burn to Jack's showing up on his chest, only, his was much smaller. "She goes into this like... Trance," He continued, Jack's eyes shifting over to her, seeing her eyes were shut. "She doesn't realize how much she's taking or that she's hurting us by not moving her hands. I found that out the hard way, but with my cybernetic arm, I can pry her grip off of me when she starts to burn me or takes too much. The only downside is she gets really tired after going into that mode."

"How can she take so friggin' much from you?" He questioned, reaching out to touch her head, arching a brow at her not even reacting.

Rhys shifted his gaze to Jack for a brief moment, moving her hand again. "Alex gave me some of his power," He admitted quietly. "Male Eridians undergo a cycle like she does, but it's apparently not as... severe? Obviously, since they can't get pregnant, but they apparently store up energy over the years to use on their mates to help force pregnancies, but since Alex is gay-"  
"He has no outlet," Jack finished, resting his head against the couch, rubbing his face exhaustedly.

"Right," Rhys agreed. "And we both know she takes better when she's... y'know," He started, his face flushing a bright crimson, a tired chuckle coming from Jack.

"Yeah, I gotcha, Kiddo. Explains why she was so friggin' persistent."  
"And you didn't take the opportunity?" He asked, shocked. Jack was never one to turn down sex. 

"I wanted to finish prepping dinner," He answered, shooting a glare at the younger male. "A few more seconds and I would've gladly taken her."

"Well," Rhys mumbled, feeling her grow limp against him, the glow from her stopping as her breathing grew heavy and slow, resting against him. "When the baby decides it's hungry, you don't have a few seconds," He mumbled, sliding her hand out of his shirt, the small, slight burns on his chest healing quickly. 

"Baby?" Jack said with a snort, a cocky grin on his face. "I think you mean _babies_ , Champ."

"Yes-" He paused, looking at Jack's face. "She told you that?"  
"Yup," He answered, his grin only widening. "And I know who the father is."  
"Well?" Rhys asked after a few moments of silence. "Who is it?"  
"Oh no, Cupcake. I'm not tellin' you shit," He responded with a chuckle, watching as Rhys's face fell. 

"It's both of you, shut the fuck up," She mumbled sleepily, rubbing her eye with the heel of her left palm, both of them falling silent at her sudden outburst, their eyes watching as she stumbled, but stood up, making her way to their bedroom. "I'm going to bed," She called out down the hall, the only sound coming from her after was the sound of the door creaking shut behind her.

"Well-"  
"That little shit," Jack breathed with a smirk, cutting off whatever Rhys was going to say. Honestly, Rhys didn't even know what he was going to say. His mind was reeling. He was going to be a father, and so was Jack. Twins.

 _They were having twins._ He thought to himself, practically jumping for joy in his brain. "I'm gonna head back to Atlas, but try not to be too angry with her," Rhys finally said, a grin on his face. He was ecstatic. "She can get grumpy if she gets disturbed after leeching right now," He mumbled sheepishly, buttoning up his shirt.

"You know, she was having three," Jack finally said, making Rhys freeze. "But she uh... She lost one."

"That'd explain why she was in a bad mood a few weeks ago," He mumbled, staring at the floor. "Jack, I can't keep up with her alone," He finally confessed, glancing at the exhausted, older man. "She needs _a lot_ more than she used to."

"Ya think?" He retorted with a snort.

He pinched the bridge of his nose with his cybernetic hand. "You need to go see Alex," He finally said, letting his hand fall as he stood up. "From what Alex and Addy have told me, it's only going to get worse when she hits the second trimester, and that's _very_ close."

"Yeah, yeah," Jack waved it off, standing up. "I'll go sometime next week or somethin'."  
"Jack," Rhys said sternly, crossing his arms across his chest. 

"I _got_ it, Rhysie," Jack responded with a glare. "For now, I'd _love_ to go to sleep, so politely fuck right off. Or don't politely do it, I don't care," He said, throwing his hands up before marching to their bedroom.

"J-" He started, letting out an annoyed sigh, rubbing his face with his cybernetic hand. He'd argue with him later, for now, Adelia seemed sated and he had a lot of work left for him at Atlas with the new guns he was rolling out. Walking out of the door, he closed it behind him, hearing the lock engage automatically, holding his cybernetic hand up, calling Alex and Timothy.  
"Hello?" A half-asleep Timothy answered the holo-call, Rhys still got chills at how alike he and Jack were - then again, massive, doppelganger surgery and all -, the only main difference was Timothy had freckles on his face while Jack did not, but those were hardly noticeable unless he was blushing - which he was. And, from what he could see, Timothy was marked in a lot of hickeys. _A lot._

"Hey, so-" Rhys said, watching as an annoyed Alex took the device from Timothy, his face flickering across the screen, setting his cigarette back in his mouth.

"Go back to sleep, Baby," Rhys heard a gentle voice say, seeing the side of Alex's head, the short, black hair sticking up in places wildly, hearing a few sweet exchanges between the two of them. Clearly, he had disturbed their post-coitus time. "What do you need, Rhys?" Alex asked, closing the door behind him, the grey eyes that looked similar to Adelia's showing up as he set it down on the table across from him, showing the sunny, outside weather in Angel's Hold, taking a long drag of his smoke. Just like Tim, Alex's tanned skin was covered in hickeys.

"I hope I'm not disturbing?" Rhys said with an arched brow, walking to the fast travel.

"Nah, if you had called ten minutes ago, you would've been," He responded, blowing the smoke out of his reddened lips. "Which brings me back to my first question, _what do you need, Rhys?_ " He repeated a bit more annoyed. He was annoyed, he just finished and was trying to enjoy the euphoria from reaching his climax with Timothy, seeing as Jack had him gone for the last week, it was the Eridian mating season, and that was interrupted.

"Right..." Rhys murmured, leaning against the fast travel. "Jack knows about the pregnancy-"  
"And?" He cut him off, taking another drag of his cig. "What's that got to do with us?"

"Little hostile there, aren't ya?" Rhys said, biting the inside of his cheek.

He arched a brow, blowing the smoke out of his mouth with a chuckle. "Rhysie, if you just called to annoy me, you're doing a good job-"  
"No, not that," Rhys said, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Jack can't handle her as he is-"  
"And you want me to do what I did with you to him," Alex finished, finishing off his smoke, leaving Rhys amazed the other male could finish it in three puffs. "You do realize that by me doing that, you are _technically_ on your way to being an Eridian, now, right?" He asked, slowly blowing the smoke out of his mouth, readying another one from the pack. Normally, he wouldn't smoke so much, but given it was _technically_ the Eridian's mating season, even if Adelia's cycle had fallen out of sync, his testosterone was through the roof right now, and he was definitely more irritated than necessary, and given how abused Tim was right now, it'd be at least another hour or two until he was ready. 

"Well, yeah, you told me that-" Rhys started, watching as Alex put the new cig in his mouth, lighting it with a silver lighter.

"Then you know why it'd be a bad idea to do that to Jack," He cut Rhys off, tossing his lighter down on the table, taking along drag. "From what I've seen in our meetings, he isn't exactly mentally sound right now, and is under a lot of stress, something that won't be good if he realizes he'd be practically indestructible."

"Yeah, but-"

"Rhys," He cut him off again, leaning to rest his head on his arm, flicking the asses off of his cigarette. "She'll be fine with _you_. I only did it because I knew how much having children means to a female Eridian, _especially_ given who she is. What you're even trying to ask me would be disastrous if he snaps again, or worse - he loses Adelia or his baby."  
"How did you-"  
"Know one was his? We're not stupid," He said with a cocky smirk, taking a long puff off of his smoke. "That, and when she came here a few weeks ago while you were working on Pandora, she told me," He explained fully, showing the pearly whites to Rhys with an even cockier smirk. "She leeched a good bit off of me that day to try and save it, but it was too late," He added on, taking another slight hit. "You see, Rhysie. She knows what she is and isn't capable of. She's worried she'll lose the babies, but in reality, she won't. She wouldn't have lost the third one if she had just been more mindful of her leeching and didn't get the birth control. Her fertility is higher than you think. I'm not even into women and I can see that, but then again, you and Jack are, well, _mostly_ humans. If she hadn't gotten that shot, she would've carried all three to term," He paused, readying another cigarette.

"I didn't tell her to get it," Rhys mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck, making Alex pause. 

"You might not have, but she still felt obligated to get it. If she can still have kids after this pregnancy, then that's up to you three. I gave as much as I could to her without giving up my powers," He paused again, lighting his new smoke, taking a small drag this time. He was calming down gradually. That is, he'd be calm until he hung up and saw Timothy laid out for him like he was at a fine dining establishment. A full course _and_ dessert laid out beautifully for him. The thought made him chuckle. "Regardless, Jack is already in the process of being turned slowly by her. I only sped it up with you," He said, twirling the cig in his fingers. "The second Jack accepts that she isn't going to betray him and gives her his full trust, he'll be able to handle her current leechings more. That's why it never bothered you more beyond a mild burn. You trust her unconditionally, or at least, in a romantic way. I know she can be rash and irrational," He added the last part on with a chuckle. "She may be _technically_ older than I am, but I have been out of stasis a lot longer than she has. My body is more mature than hers. I mean hell, she was the one who delivered both me and my sister," He continued with a slightly saddened face, taking a long drag of his cig this time, staying quiet.

"Alex, I'm so-" Rhys started, frowning a bit.  
"Don't," Alex cut him off once again, "When an Eridian's mate dies, it's a matter of time before they do," He started again, blowing smoke out of his mouth after another puff. "Miss Adelia already started the changing process for both of you long ago, without realizing it. I just sped it up for you, but I won't be doing that for Jack. Not until I know she's got a good grip on him, because we _both_ know he's foolish and will purposely put himself in harm's way. She is strong enough to make entire kingdoms, beings, even. I'm sure you've seen her little Oasis," He said, flicking the cigarette bud into the ashtray. "She knows how to handle herself. But, to please you, I will give Jack a _tiny_ amount of my built-up essence. On two conditions," He added, leaning forward, leaving Rhys with an arched brow. He hadn't been able to get many words in with this conversation, but that wasn't hard to understand. Adelia already gave him a warning that Alex would be irritable for the next week or two.

"What are they?" Rhys asked quietly, shifting against the fast travel station.

"I want Timothy to be fully mine," He answered. "I want to mark him the way she marked you and Jack."  
"Alex, I don't know if I can make that happen," Rhys mumbled out quickly, running his hand through his hair. 

"And I want to be able to be around Adelia more," He continued, holding up both of his fingers. "I'll take only one, but I would very much appreciate being able to have Timothy marked as _mine,_ 'cause I gotta say, it's super fucking confusing when he and Jack are together in a room with their masks on and he's in Jack mode."

"Are you talking about that time you-"  
" _Don't remind me_ ," Alex hissed, picking up his lighter.

"To be fair, I have issues too," Rhys admitted, both of the males laughing. "I don't know how Addy can tell the difference. Even before Jack was marked, she could tell."  
"She's something, that's for sure. Definitely had Timothy in a blubbering mess when she was fucking with Jack," He said with a grin, recalling the story Tim had told him. Rhys relaxed a bit, it seemed Alex's mood swing was over, and he was back to his cheerful self. "I should get back to Tim," He said, drumming his lighter against the table. "If Jack comes around, I'll consider helping him, but I won't be giving him as much as I gave you. But, Rhys," He paused, picking up the ECHO device as he started to move toward the door to their room again. "The burns are only going to get worse. She can't control that it burns, it's a symptom of her pregnancy. If she can stabilize her feedings more, they'll get better, but that's going to be incredibly hard for her, especially with twins. She's on the young side to be having kids, at least by Eridian standards. I'd make sure to buy some burn relief or aloe or something. You heal fast _now_ , on account of what I gave you, but Jack? He's going to blister and be in pain if she can't heal him."

Rhys stayed quiet, seeing the sincere warning in Alex's eyes. "Alright, I'll get some just in case."

"Be seeing you, Rhys. Bring her by some time next week, if you'd like a touch up on your essence," He said, hanging up the ECHO, but not before Rhys could see a happy smile looking down at (what he assumed was) a sleepy Tim. It really shouldn't surprise him that Alex is like Adelia. It really, really shouldn't, but it oddly does. They were from different times, but still held the same temperament and cheerful outlook. Sighing loudly, he punched the input code for his office, dematerializing. He'd worry about it later.

* * *

_**A few hours later... (5:45 PM)** _

_**AN: Smut.** _

At some point during her nap, Jack had slid into bed beside her, his large, toned arms wrapped around her protectively, holding her close to him. She squirmed a bit, coming to slightly, before turning over in his arms, his grip only tightening on her once she grew still again, his hand creeping down her stomach just slightly. He woke up when she shifted in his arms, but he was quickly falling back to sleep, his 'morning' wood pressing firmly against her bare ass. Since her pregnancy stabilized, she often found herself wanting to sleep naked, mostly because she'd grow hot after leeching, and now was no exception. Apparently, he felt how hot she was and turned onto his back, keeping his left hand propped up on her shoulder, making sure she was always in arm's reach. The only problem? She was horny. Very horny. And his little tease pressing against her hadn't helped.

She shifted very carefully, her grey eyes peeking up at his sleeping, relaxed face, his right hand resting on his chest, his body, fully relaxed. She already had woken him up once before like this, so now would be no exception, would it? Moving closer to him, she let her fingers dance against his stomach, her hand slowly creeping under the waistband of his pants. "Hey, Daddy?" She whispered to him softly.

"Yes, Honey?" He mumbled our sleepily, turning his head to face her.

"Kitten's horny," She purred to him, staring at him with a playful gaze, a grin on her face.

"That's nice, Pumpkin," He said, closing his eyes again.

"May I touch you?" She murmured to him, her hand creeping closer to his girth.

"You don't have to ask," He responded just as sleepily, keeping his eyes shut. Truthfully, he wasn't even awake enough to know what she was talking about,and after the leeching he just had? He was undoubtedly gone, but his mind was gradually processing what she had asked.

Licking her lips excitedly, she slid out from under his touch, her hands greedily gripping the waistband of his pants, her teeth taking her bottom lip into her mouth when his erection sprang free, her hands then carefully tugging his pants down past his knees, her lips pressing lightly against his swollen tip, a quiet grunt coming from him. Shifting her eyes toward him, she watched his face, her tongue gradually sliding from between her lips, flicking over the tip of his girth, a grin on her face as his eyes shifted slightly under his eyelids, but stayed closed. Taking his tip into her mouth, she gave it a gentle suckle, assaulting it in the best way possible with her tongue, running circles along the soft skin, her hand gripping the bottom of his length lightly. She didn't intend on giving him full-blown head, she had other thoughts on her mind right now. Like feeling him inside of her. Taking more of his length inside of her mouth, she hesitantly began to bob her head, her eyes staying locked on his face, seeing his lips twist into a smirk when she massaged the underneath of him with her tongue.

Honestly, knowing that he was fully awake while she was sucking him as if her life depended on it only escalated her arousal, her need for him growing bt the second. Sliding his cock out of her mouth, she grinned up at him when he opened his green eye, gazing down at her with an arched brow, his arm having moved to cover his blue eye. She bit her bottom lip with a devious, excited grin, plastered across them, moving to straddle him, allowing his girth to slide between her lower lips, a hushed moan coming from her as his smirk only grew, his right arm moving from across his face, hand tangling in her hair as he brought his lips to hers hungrily, asserting his dominance to her as he flipped them over carefully, never breaking their kiss, his legs kicking his pants off fully. 

Tugging on her hair, he broke their kiss, her body shuddering against him from the rough gesture. Normally, she'd smack him for doing this, but right now, only one thing was on her mind, and that was him. "What do you want, Kitten?" He purred to her, a quiet inhale coming from her as he pressed his lips against her jawline, giving it a harsh nibble.

"I want _you_ , Daddy," She breathed out, not faltering in her answer, a sudden, but faint moan coming from her when he moved his hand down her body, his index sliding past her entrance, plunging deep inside of her soaking wet hole, her teeth taking her abused bottom lip between them again as she stared up at him lustfully, that damned, mischievous grin on her face. Ever since they confessed their love to one another, their sexual time had turned more sensual for the both of them, but along with that, his suspicion and worry that she'd betray him only grew with each passing time. Pulling his finger out to the first joint on his finger, he quickly plunged it back inside of her, curling it just right to hit her spot, a shuddering moan coming from her as she rested her head against his hand, closing her eyes, her muscles clenching his finger tightly, begging for more abuse.

"Such a dirty girl," He breathed to her, his lips attacking her neck and throat, peppering it in small bite marks, some even drawing blood as he pulled his finger from her, chuckling at her _very_ audible whine. "Patience, Honey," He murmured against her ear. He didn't need to prep her - she was ready.

"I want to mark you," She whispered to him, her hands sliding up to his face, her fingers grazing against the bottom of his scar. A sly smirk grew across his lips, moving his neck closer to her, allowing her permission as he grasped his girth, rubbing it along her wet flower. She let out a soft moan against his neck while her hands slid up, pulling him closer to her, her right hand moving to his shoulder while her lips grazed against his skin gently, daring to drive him to madness. Suddenly, she bit down on his neck roughly, a soft growl-like noise coming from him, his erection throbbing against her slit, wanting to be inside of her, but he'd let her have her fun. For now. He arched a brow as her hand slowly moved to his throat, her fingertips dancing against the other side of his neck, thumb caressing along his vein, harboring nothing but intimacy, her lips pressing against his neck a tiny bit further down, giving his tanned skin another gentle kiss. Unable to contain himself any longer, he slowly pushed himself inside of her, her hand on his shoulder digging into his skin, hushed, labored moans coming from both of them. Their plays were fun and all, but _this_? Nothing could top this. He chuckled when she shuddered in anticipation, her lips still remaining soft against his neck, but each kiss was definitely growing a bit sloppier, moans erupting from her each time he pulled himself nearly out then slammed himself back inside of her, keeping a steady pace with it, purposely taunting her, pulling her to the edge. And each time he slid out, she'd use that as an opportunity to suckle on his skin, marking him more and more. 

"That's enough, Kitten," He whispered to her, chuckling at her whine of protest, his lips capturing hers, his hips starting to move at a steady pace, enjoying each moan she released into his mouth. "Fuck, I love you," He whispered out to her again, catching her off guard from the sudden words, her eyes widening as a smile crept across her lips, despite her moans.

"I love you, too," She murmured back to him sweetly, her head tilting back when he tugged on her hair lightly, her body trembling.

"You fuckin' better, you filthy slut," He purred to her, seeing her body tremble even more in excitement. Her usual kinks were different now - or at least, that's what he had noticed, but then again, her kinks with him and her kinks were Rhys were vastly different, the only things that still seemed to remain were her fears of impact play and anal. Which was fine with him. "Look at you, clinging to my cock," He continued to purr to her, a sly smirk on her face, his thrusts growing in aggression.

"Says the dirty man who gave me permission to touch him while he slept," She teased back through her moans, her eyes glistening in amusement at their playful, dirty banter. He chuckled lowly, keeping his lips close to hers. Rhys told him she didn't enjoy dirty talk, but that couldn't have been farthest from the truth. He called her a slut during her ovulation cycle and since then, she's loved every moment of it, which only made him wonder - did Rhys even _try_? Picking up his speed, he grinned as she tilted her head back, breaking their eye contact, her hands gripping his back, but being mindful not to leech from him. "H-hah... Jack," She moaned out, a satisfied hum coming from him.

"You call me the dirty one," He whispered against the hollow of her throat, his voice growing lower as he let out his own panting moans. "But you're the one moaning my name, Baby," He pressed on with his words, his lips kissing her throat hungrily, marking her with gentle lovebites. Normally, Rhys treaded through this territory on her, but not today. Right now, she was _his,_ and _only_ his. Her cheeks flared at his comment, her legs slowly moving to wrap around his waist, pulling him deeper inside of her, her nails digging deep into his skin as she let out a loud moan of his name, her back arching as she reached her climax all at once from her playful gesture. "And you even came for this 'dirty, handsome cock'," He whispered to her through a strained breath, holding in his own moan of her name, feeling her muscles clench around his girth as he hit her innermost wall. 

"Oh, _fuck_ , Jack," She stammered out, her body trembling as his hips rocked more wildly against her, slamming himself against her far more aggressively than he had been, a cocky smirk on his face as she practically screamed out his name, her legs squeezing his waist tightly while her hands clenched his back, the want to leech from him nearly overpowering her, but she stayed grounded, even if it was just barely. Biting her lip to calm herself down, she slowly tilted her head back toward him, a playful smirk on her face. "A dirty man for a dirty woman," She whispered to him, his face twisting into a similar smirk, meeting her lips half-way in a fevered, shared kiss, a low moan coming from his chest as his hips slowed, slowly pumping through his climax, filling her with his seed. He broke their kiss, feeling the familiar warmth coming from her, feeling it wash over him for a few moments, before it stopped, her hands moving to his arms, her head leaning over, resting against his cheek, closing her eyes with a satisfied hum.

_**AN: Smut over** _

She shuddered, feeling his hand move up her body, her head tilting back when it gripped her throat. "You," He breathed against her ear, sending chills down her spine. "Drive me insane."

She grinned, shifting her gaze to his heterochromatic one. "I don't think insanity is what I was going for," She teased with a giggle, her grin only growing when he snorted, pulling himself from her, lying down next to her. She shifted next to him, crawling on top of him, her rear resting on his stomach while his hands gripped her thighs, arching a brow to stare up at her. "Jack."  
"Adelia," He said, keeping his brow arched, an amused smirk on his face.

"Why don't you trust me?" She asked softly, her fingers running across his puffs of chest hair, his smirk falling soon after. Was it that obvious? "I know I burnt you earlier, but..." She mumbled, keeping her gaze off of him. Truthfully, he had forgotten all about that.

"That's not why I don't trust you," He mumbled out. There was no point in hiding it from her. She saw through his bullshit.

"Then, why?" She pressed, shifting her eyes to his.

He stayed quiet, his hands pawing at her thighs. "I..." He started, breaking his gaze from hers. What could he even say? He didn't have any good reason to not trust her. She'd taken his side time and time again, proved that she could be trusted, came back to him, as she had promised, and now, she was soon to be the mother of his child.

"Jack..." She mumbled out, his eyes shifting back to her. He didn't have an answer. He trusted Moxxi. He trusted his second wife. He trusted his own _daughter_ , and all of them betrayed him. She slid her left hand down, caressing his right hand on her thigh, slowly guiding it to her stomach, allowing him to feel the tiny kick, a small smile breaking across his lips. "I won't push," She whispered to him, cupping his face with her free hand, smiling down at him. "You'll trust me when you're ready." As soon as those words left her mouth, he felt a crushing weight landing on his chest. She had done nothing but put practically blind faith in him since he first met Lilith, now that he had thought about it. And when he betrayed her trust, what did she do? Certainly not betray him and let him die. No, she came out of her slumber earlier than she was strong enough to, _put herself at risk_ by saving his life, and then saved his life _again_. And now, she was here, trusting him to be a good father to their child and a good mate to her, which truly, he hadn't been. They hadn't danced in a long while, despite her asking. That look of disappointment in her face when he told her he was too busy to, that look of hurt when he shoved her away after a bad meeting, that look of fear when she was fresh out of the Vault and he pinned her against the wall and _hurt_ her, all came back to him. But still, she remained at his side, despite everything.

"Why do you stay with me?" He breathed out, his gaze burning into her soft, grey one. "I don't _deserve_ you. I've killed so many innocent people. I've _hurt_ you, I couldn't protect you," He breathed the last part out, tears coming to his eyes. "I've done nothing but-"

"Jack," She cut him off, her gentle voice silencing his mind. It was very rare that he, Handsome _Goddamn_ Jack, showed any weakness like this, but with her, it was growing more and more common. She was the only woman to tear through his barricades time and time again. He broke his gaze from hers, taking a quiet, deep breath, staring up at the ceiling. He couldn't stand that gentle stare from her. That understanding. That _love_. "I know you think you're invincible," She started in a soft voice, her thumb caressing along his face. "But you're not, and I understand that. It's time you understand that. There are some things you just can't control, no matter how much money or power you have," She paused, moving her hand over a bit, her thumb running over his bottom lip, causing his heterochromatic gaze to snap back to hers. "And that's okay. I don't blame you at all for what happened. I get overwhelmed, too. I have, quite literally, sat in your lap and cried about what happened to me. There are many nights where I wake up and just stare at the ceiling, thinking about all the mistakes I've made, all the things I could've done, all the things I _should've_ done. That doesn't mean I'm a bad person or that I don't deserve happiness," She paused, smiling down at him sweetly. "All that matters is that I'm _here_ now. I'm not there. I'm not in stasis. I'm here. With you." _And Rhys,_ she thought to herself, but right now, she needed to deal with Jack. "And you," She pulled her hand from his face, allowing them to dance across his throat as she moved her hand down. "Deserve happiness as much as anyone does."

He grinned up at her with a soulless grin. "You're so fuckin' corny, Pumpkin," He finally said. "But that still hasn't convinced me of anything. If I had paid more attention, if I had just _listened_ to you-"  
"It probably still would've happened," She cut him off, placing her index finger back over his lips. "You can't drive yourself mad thinking about the what-ifs. What happened, happened, and there's nothing we can do to change it. As I said, I'm here now, with you. I'm safe. I'm happy. I'm pregnant," She added the last part in with a grin, Jack's face lighting up quite a bit from that. "I understand things can be busy for you," She added on. "I understand that you haven't felt like dancing because you're busy, but Jack, I don't mind helping you with stuff. I know you're used to doing things alone, but there's nothing wrong with asking for a little help. You _know_ I'm more than capable to help. I calm you down, don't I?" She added the last part on with a playful smile, earning herself a chuckle from him. 

"You," He breathed out, watching as she arched a brow. He had so much to say to her, so much he _wanted_ to say. She saved him from his ego, from his loneliness, from _death_. She made him feel whole again, but he still was having issues trusting her. And she accepted that he was having issues without getting angry or upset with him. She's everything he ever wanted, and he was happy with her, but that nagging feeling of possible betrayal kept him from fully opening to her.

"Me," She repeated to him with a gentle smile.

Leaning up, he cupped her throat in his hand, pulling her close to him, a smirk on his face when a hushed gasp came from her, her cheeks reddening at the gesture. "You shouldn't trust me so blindly," He purred to her, bringing his lips close to hers. "You know what can happen."  
"And I trust that it won't," She breathed back to him without missing a beat, his heart pounding in his ears. She trusted him to not hurt her. To protect her. To love her. 

His hand twitched on her neck, his grip tightening against her, a hushed whimper coming from her. "You're insane," He murmured to her with a smirk. "And I love it."

Biting her bottom lip lightly, she grinned at him mischievously, her eyes closing as his lips took hers in a hungry kiss, his grip tightening on her neck briefly, before he moved his hand down, allowing it to rest against her hip, his rough thumb rubbing against her soft skin. Pulling his lips from hers, he opened his bi-colored eyes, meeting her grey ones, a smile on his face. Maybe trusting wouldn't be so bad again. Leaning back, he laid back down, feeling her rest her body against his, but not laying down fully on him. "As much as I would love to lay here and cuddle," She whispered to him. "I do have some bad news." His smile quickly fell, his eyes gazing up at her cautiously. "I need to go to Pandora soon. It's time for us to visit the Vault again."

Jack grunted, his face turning into a scowl. He knew Pandora would always be her planet - well, his _and_ hers since he owned most of it monetarily wise -, but going down there, knowing Katagawa was there pissed him off. The only real reason he showed mercy on that shitstain was that she asked him to, saying that working for bandits would be a punishment far worse than death. "Do we have to?" 

"Unfortunately," She said, moving off of him, lying down next to him. "I need to visit Alex, as well-"  
"Absolutely not," He breathed out in a snarl. Alex had been nothing but polite to Jack, but to know he was boning Timothy, his doppelganger? It made him feel... weird around him. Especially after the sudden, drunken kiss Alex had given him, mistaking him for Timothy.

"You're gonna have to realize that was a mistake eventually," She said, referring to the kiss. "Though, I found it quite amusing."

"Of course you did," He said, rubbing his face.

"Jack," She mumbled to him, resting her hand on his chest, his face reluctantly turning toward her, gazing at her. "I need to go. He's going to have to mark someone eventually, and I need to make sure he doesn't do it wrong."  
"I don't _want_ Timtam marked. He's still under contract," Jack retorted, rubbing his eyes in annoyance.

"But if he gets marked, that means he can heal faster from injuries," She shot back, Jack's hand stilling. Now that he thought about it, when he got shot a year ago, he healed up fairly quickly. And Rhys... Rhys was healing especially quickly lately. He had watched that happen with his own eyes earlier. "Both of them have expressed wanting to be with each other so-"  
"Fine," He finally said, letting out a long sigh. At least Tim would be able to heal faster. That'd help him out a lot. It'd mean he could stay with her a lot longer instead of running off to Helios or Eden-6 or whatever other friggin' planets that he needed to go to.

"Jack, you're- wait, what?" She said, ready to counter his argument again.

"I said fine," He repeatedly, moving his hand away from his face, turning his head to stare at her confused, but relieved face. "I can send him in my place to a lot more things instead of handling it alone," He explained, moving on top of her again, pinning her wrists down with a smirk on his face. "Which means," He breathed out, her reddened face only furthering his smirk. "I can stay with you more."

"That was the corniest shit I've ever heard you say," She whispered to him with a smile.

"Ah-ah, language, Kitten," He purred to her, bringing his lips to hers in a gentle, taunting kiss. If he was around her more, maybe he could place his disbelief aside and trust her fully. Plus... He was given a second chance to be a father. To do right by his child. He wasn't going to mess it up this time. "Wait," He whispered against her lips, chuckling at her soft whine, her grey eyes opening to meet his blue and green ones. "It's only been like two friggin' months since your cycle. How do you already have kicking and movement?"

She rolled her eyes. "You broke our kiss for this?" She teased, watching the muscles in his back shift as he moved off of her, grabbing his pajama bottoms off the floor, pulling them up. 

"Sure did, Pumpkin," He teased back, glancing at her over his shoulder.

She huffed, turning onto her side, her grey eyes watching him pick up her clothes, folding them. "Eridian pregnancies last the same length of time as humans," She started. "The main difference is our fetuses are fully developed by the time we enter the second trimester. We have brain activity and minor movements as soon as we hit the two-month mark, and by five months, our pregnancy is stable and we can give birth if it's a crisis, like life or death, situation. The other four months are for our babies to absorb some of our power, so they come out strong and more Eridian than human - at least, in this case. Most Eridians chose to end their pregnancies at the five-month mark from what I noticed, but only if it was two full-bloodied ones. I'm not and I don't want to take that risk. When a halfling, like myself, gives birth at the five-month mark, there's a great chance my children won't have any Eridian qualities and be more human. The only thing that they _may_ retain is the quick healing, and even then, it'd be slower. The longer we keep the pregnancy, the more Eridian qualities they retain."  
"That makes no sense," Jack said, arching a brow while he took a seat next to her, running his hand through her black hair.

"Does anything ever make sense?" She mused with a smile, letting out a soft yawn, a chuckle coming from him. "The longer that they're in my womb, the more they absorb from me. Just like a typical pregnancy," She said, shifting her eyes up to his face. "Seeing as I'm more of a full-bloodied than a halfling, the more they leech off of me, the more likely they are to come out like me, instead of a halfling like Alex."  
"So they'd be Sirens?" He finally asked softly.

"Possibly," She answered honestly, pulling his hand from her hair, bringing to her lips, giving it a soft kiss. "But it won't necessarily kill me if they are. They won't be nearly as strong as me. The only time we die from childbirth is if we contract an infection and want to pass all of our powers onto our children all at once, and I have no intention of doing that. Plus," She continued, moving to sit up, letting his hand rest in her lap. "Medicine has come a long way since then."

"If your kind could heal, why didn't your mother heal herself?" He murmured out, his lips thinning into a line. He couldn't forget that. That was his and Rhys's biggest worry right now.

"Truthfully, I don't think she wanted to be alive anymore," She answered softly, her fingers running over his knuckles. "She was a few hundred years old, and from what my father told me, that vision shook her to her core. She knew she wouldn't be able to stop what happened, but maybe she hoped I could, and decided she'd leave it up to me."

"So she took the cowards way out," He said bluntly, causing her fingers to stop. 

"Did you just-"  
"I did," He answered, cutting her off. "I might not have been the best father to Angel, but I tried my damnedest to protect her, even if it ultimately led to her betraying me. From what it sounds like, she didn't want to deal with it anymore and placed it all on you to deal with." She opened her mouth to argue, but she had nothing to argue with. She barely knew her mother. And now that Jack had voiced his opinion, it did honestly make a good bit of sense. She was loved by everyone in their tribe and still was even in death. She was always compared to her mother growing up and told how her mother wouldn't do something she did, by everyone but her father, and... her. It all made sense. At least, to her. She frowned, her fingers trailing against his knuckles. 

She lifted her head when he pulled his hand away from her, her gaze meeting his. "You still look tired, Honey," He mumbled, feeling the hurt radiating off of her. "Go back to sleep, I'll start on dinner."

"Jack, I'm not hurt from what you said," She stated, grabbing his hand lightly. "I'm hurt because..." She paused. "You're right."

"Of course I am," He smirked a bit, but he wasn't happy that he was. "I'm Handsome _Goddamn_ Jack," He purred to her, leaning down to give her a rough kiss.

"You and that ego," She murmured against his lips, returning his rough kiss with a gentle one.

"You love it," He purred to her, chuckling when her face turned a bright crimson. "I do need to get started on dinner, though, Kitten."  
"I'm not that tired, I can-"  
"If you fall asleep at the bar, I'm carrying you back to bed."  
"What about the couch?" She mused with a playful grin.

He hummed in amusement, grinning at her. "If you fall asleep on the couch, you'll have to give me an actual blowjob."  
"Are you threatening me with a good time?" She asked, sliding her boyshorts back on, before pulling on his yellow Hyperion shirt she was wearing.

He chuckled, sliding his arms around her, his hand caressing the bump on her stomach, his face nuzzling against the nook of her neck. "I love ya, Honey," He whispered against her skin, sending shivers through her body.

"I love you, too, Jack," She whispered back, placing her hands over his.


	28. Chapter 28

_**One week later...** _

_**Pandora (7:45 PM)** _

Adelia's bump had grown a slight bit larger and could easily be noticed now as she neared the end of her first trimester. Rhys was over the moon about having a child with her while Jack was still worried he'd mess it up all over again, but she always reassured him and grounded him back down to reality. He, reluctantly, started to let her in more and more, now that the general stress of trying to find board members was over. All of them had been replaced and Alex now took a seat among them as a partner with Hyperion. He didn't have the aggravation of a board since he didn't see the point, and Jack secretly envied him, but given how rash he could be, he knew a board was the best for Hyperion.

"Hello there. I see you and Alex had an eventful week," Adelia said, looking at Timothy with a grin, who just blushed wildly, rubbing the back of his neck, his hands tugging up his shirt, trying to cover some of the hickeys on his neck as he opened the door for her and Jack to enter.

"Jesus, Timtam. At least have some modesty," Jack teased, earning an eye-roll from both his doppelganger and the petite girl in front of him.

"You have no room to talk," She teased to Jack, shooting an apologetic smile over at Timothy. "Is Alex-"  
"On the balcony," Timothy finally mumbled out, rubbing the back of his neck again, keeping his gaze off of Jack's stern stare. He knew it'd happen eventually, but he still wasn't ready to deal with it.

Giving a small wave over her shoulder, she walked up the stairs, making her way through their (very) messy bedroom and opening the balcony door, arching a brow at Alex, who's legs were propped up on the railing, cigarette in hand while his head rested on his other hand, propped up by his elbow on the chair's armrest. His grey eyes that mimicked her own were closed. "Thinking about something?" She asked, taking a seat next to him, smiling when his eyes shot open, his hand moving to put out his smoke. He'd finish it later when she wasn't around.

"Not necessarily, Miss Adelia," He said with a smile, leaning back to the position he was in earlier, his feet hanging off the balcony.

She hummed in amusement, leaning back in her chair, her hand resting on her bump. "Judging by your face, you were very pleased to have him back last week," She teased, grinning when his face flared a bright crimson. Similar to Tim, his neck was littered in marks, only his were faded from his quick healing. "And I told you, you don't have to call me 'Miss' outside of the office."

"Force of habit," He responded, grinning at her, running his hand through his messy, black hair. "How're the kiddos coming along?" 

She arched a brow at his nickname. "I think you've been around Timothy a bit too long, you're sounding like Jack," She taunted, earning a groan from him. "But, so far, so good, how're things with you and Tim?"

"They're great, actually," He said with a sincere, warm smile. "Aside from his occasional outbursts from the DNA Jack injected him with, he's a wonderful man. Definitely doesn't condone my sudden smoking habit, though."

"I don't blame him, but I know last week was stressful for you," She responded, drumming her fingers lightly across her stomach, watching as it moved slightly from the movement of the twins. "Are you sure you want to go through with marking him? You know, it's practically irreversible once you do it."

"I know," He answered. "You've already given me this lecture on the ECHO call. I know once I mark him, if he decides to break our bond, I'll still be able to feel him but he won't be able to feel me or my emotions. I don't think he will, though."

She nodded, covering her mouth as she yawned. "Well," She said a bit sleepily, his eyebrow arching. Seeing as she was nearing the second trimester, he knew it was a possibility she'd fall asleep on him. "I have to go to the Vault once we leave here. If you know this is what you both want, you're welcome to join us."

"We have to go into a Vault? I thought you could just give him the mark-"  
"Alex, I'm pregnant with twins, I'm tired, I've puked my guts up the last three days, and I'm insatiably horny," She started, grinning when his face flared a bright crimson again. "Plus, I'm barely scraping by with what I need from Jack. I'm not putting the babies at risk to mark you two, the Wraith can do that for you. She did it for me for both of them."

"Jack still doesn't trust you fully, huh?" He asked, scratching the side of his forehead, shifting his position. "Lucky for you, I have a lot of power built up since I won't and can't mate with a female."

"He's getting there," She answered, resting her head against her hand, a soft yawn coming from her again when she moved her hand from her stomach to cover her mouth. "It's better than it was. I get a lot more than then and I don't burn him as significantly. He won't let me heal him anymore, either, just because of you lecturing him last week when he called you," She teased with a sleepy grin, hearing Alex chuckle.

"I was busy. He interrupted us and I thought something had happened to you. Y'know," he paused, turning his face away from the night sky to gaze at her. "It's been almost a year since you woke up again. And honestly," He paused again, fidgeting a bit, seeing her grey gaze on him. "I feel like you're more of a mother to me than she ever was."

"Alex, you shouldn't say that," She chastised him lightly.

"Well, it's the truth. My mother loved Lydia, but she hardly paid attention to me. That's why I always was with you with everything," He mumbled out.

"I'm sure your mother loved you," She retorted, shifting her gaze to the sky. The hot, summer weather didn't really help her sleepiness any.

"She didn't, don't act like she did," He snapped out at her, forcing her to shift her gaze to his, meeting his daggered glare with her own, forcing him to squirm and turn away, submitting to her. She was the alpha and he knew it. She could kill him if she wanted to, but he couldn't kill her. "Females are loved by their mothers much more, you know that," He added on in a hushed murmur.

"I always liked the boys more," She comforted softly, rubbing her stomach. "But, I'll love whatever I have," She added on, smiling when she felt a kick against her hand. He stayed quiet, watching her gaze down at her stomach so lovingly, a pang of guilt washing over him. He wished his mother loved him like that. "Alex," She whispered, shifting her gaze back to him. "I understand that you may have felt that way and I won't sit here and try to invalidate your feelings about her. If you think of me as your mother figure, then I'm flattered," She smiled at him briefly, her face twisting as nausea swept over her.

"Down the hall, first door on the right," He said with a chuckle, watching as she quickly stood up, making her way to their bathroom. He leaned his head back on his chair, putting his half-smoked cig back in his mouth, lighting it while she threw her guts up. He'd have time to finish it. And right now, he needed it. Maybe it was the Eridian in him, but he felt compelled to protect her, even though he felt no sexual attraction to her or any other woman. Or maybe he had a mommy complex. He shuddered at that thought, blowing smoke out of his mouth, watching as Jack and Timothy passed under the balcony, going on a walk together, no doubt to discuss his next job. "You're such an idiot," He mumbled, staring at Jack, taking a slow, but long, drag, finishing off the half of the cig. It wasn't a lie, he did feel like Jack was an idiot. He was having such an issue trusting Adelia from what he could see and what she said, and that only annoyed him. He had seen first hand how she risked her life to defend Jack, time and time again, but he still didn't trust she wouldn't betray him. Blowing the smoke out of his mouth, he waved it away, putting out the barely lit butt in the ashtray, just as she came back outside, holding a washcloth to her mouth.

"That bad?" He asked, motioning to the washcloth.

"A bit, yeah," She answered, folding it slightly, her head resting against the back of the chair. 

He stared at her for a few minutes, both of them sitting in silence, listening to the quietness of the city at night, the only sounds coming from Jack and Timothy below, taunting each other, and that was more Jack than Timothy. "Lady Adelia-"  
"Stop calling me that," She mumbled out, keeping her eyes shut. 

"Adelia," He corrected himself with a sigh. "Are you sure your pregnancy is alright? I'm seeing some distress from you."

"I'm just tired," She murmured, opening her eyes to look at him. "I am on the younger side to be having children. Everything feels fine, though. I just need to leech soon." He frowned a bit, standing up, his arms wrapping around her petite, tiny frame, lifting her up with ease. Compared to Timothy's weight, she weighed nothing. "Alex?" She asked, surprised.

"Sh," He shushed her, moving them to his bed, letting her sit across his lap, pulling her hand to his marked shoulder.

"For someone who called me their mother moments ago, you're oddly intimate with me," She said, a light purple glow coming from the two of them, both of their marks showing fully as she leeched from him.

"I'm just returning the favor," He confessed softly, blushing under her stare. "You used to do it to me all the time when I was sick."

"Fair enough," She mumbled, her eyelids growing heavy as she hummed the lullaby she used to sing with him softly, a grin breaking out across his face. 

"I haven't heard that in so long," He said, his eyes taking in her body. She wasn't wearing much, a baggy, yellow Hyperion tank top and some grey mid-thigh shorts. As usual, she had flats on her feet. "You do need to slow down, remember, I just came off my cycle."

"I sing it from time to time when I feel sad," She answered sleepily, the glow dimming as he arched a brow, watching as she wavered in his lap. "Yeah, I know, I think I might've overdone it."

"Adelia?" He quickly asked, his hands gripping her face, trying to wake her up. "Wake up," He added on, tapping her cheeks with his hands as she closed her eyes, her hands falling from him as she fell limp in his arms. He felt panic wash over him. That was a mild feeding compared to her usual ones, undoubtedly not a good sign. Picking her up, he carried her to the balcony quickly, seeing Jack standing down there. "Jack!" He called out, Jack's head snapping up, his smile fading quickly at the sight of her passed out in his arms, her marks visible.

Within seconds, Jack had bolted up the stairs, meeting a slightly panicky Alex in the bedroom, kneeling down next to her sleeping body. "What happened?" He asked quickly. If Alex was panicking, it couldn't have been good.

"I-I don't know!" He exclaimed, shaking her shoulder lightly. "She was leeching and then just, passed out!" 

"H-hey, take a breather, Alex," Timothy said, placing his hand on Alex's shoulder, kneeling down next to him.

"She didn't take enough. She barely got any, it isn't good-"  
"Kiddo," Jack said, shooting a glare at him. "What did _you_ do?" He asked, reaching down to grip Adelia's cheeks. They were still warm. Good. She could just be sleeping, she had spent most of the day and night vomiting.

"I didn't do anything!" He yelled, his hands running through his hair, panic washing over him completely. "I told her to slow down and she said she thinks she overdone it, then, this!"

"Baby, calm down," Timothy said, taking the panicking male in his arms, holding him tightly, causing Jack to roll his eyes. Alex gripped Tim's shirt tightly, staring at Adelia with worry, tears coming to his eyes, sensing the distress coming from her.

Jack leaned down, his lips brushing against her ears lightly, "Wake up, Kitten," He whispered to her, a slight groan coming from her, but nothing beyond that, worry washing over his features. "If she touches me, can she leech?" He asked quickly, shifting his gaze over to a still-panicking Alex, who was now gripping Tim tightly.   
"Y-yes," He breathed out through his hiccups. Timothy gripped Alex tightly, shushing him, his hand rubbing the back of his head lightly. Alex often woke up from nightmares, so this wasn't an unusual thing for him. Jack slid his many layers off, revealing the harsh mark across his back, both Alex and Tim's eyes growing as they stared at it - they had seen Rhys's, but never Jack's, and Jack's was entirely more intense than Rhys's. Moving to his knees, he lifted her up, gritting his teeth at how limp she was, definitely _not_ a good sign, and if something happened to her now, he'd never let himself live it down. Sliding her arms around his neck, he brought her head to his neck, feeling her breath hitting him in short, shallow, and quick breaths, her body stiffening just slightly, her hands moving to graze his back subconsciously, a faint light coming from her hands while he visibly relaxed, feeling her hands burning his skin. He shot a glance at Timothy and Alex, who were more focused on each other rather than what was happening, his jaw tensing as he slid his hands around her back, standing firm through the pain. He didn't want to admit it, but he trusted her to be okay. He wanted to believe she'd be okay, that she was just tired from being sick so much. That their child would be okay. Every spot his fingers touched that held a visible mark, he could feel her heartbeat, followed by two quick ones between hers. A slight grin on her face as he turned his face, burying it against her neck. They were okay. At least, it felt like they were. 

Suddenly, the burning sensation eased, his body relaxing a bit against hers, feeling her hands move slightly, "I'm sorry, I'm just so tired," her voice soft in his ear as she spoke, barely above a whisper. She undoubtedly had felt his worry and fear coursing through him once she came through, a quiet grunt coming from him, his arms holding her tightly. 

"You're going to friggin' give me a heart attack, Honey," He breathed out against her skin, smiling while nosing at her cheek. She smiled sleepily, resting her body against him more, her hands moving to his lower back, a familiar warmth coming from her touch as she leeched from him, but this time, there was only a mild burning coming from her touch. He felt relaxed, oddly enough, despite the burning sensation. Relaxed and relieved that she was okay, that he could feel her babies' heartbeats. 

"I'm sorry," She murmured against his ear again, her lips giving his cheek a gentle kiss, the warmth from her hands subsiding as she leaned away, Alex, who was now calmed down, looking at her with wide eyes.

"Are you okay, Adelia?" He asked quickly, Tim's hands moving away as the taller male scrambled to the bed, reaching out to her, ignoring the fact that Jack was pulling his clothes back on, adjusting his shirt sleeves.

"I'm fine," She answered sleepily, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "I took too much too fast, I'm sorry."

He visibly relaxed as he reached out, taking her hand in his marked one, allowing her to leech from him again, a soft purple glow coming from them again. "I thought you were losing your babies," He breathed out, Jack tensing in the middle of adjusting his vest, his jaw clenching. That was still a very real possibility and he had forgotten all about it.

"No," She answered, gripping Alex's hand snuggly, gladly taking the extra power from him, the stress coming from her seeming to go away as he stared at her. "They're fine. As I said, I'm just tired."  
"Fuckin' Eridians," Timothy breathed out, causing Jack to arch a brow, both Alex and Adelia turning to look at him, a bright blush flooding across his cheeks. "I mean, uh-"  
"I see my DNA is still _very_ present," Jack said with a grin, chuckling, furthering his doppelganger's blush, his left hand rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Both Alex and Adelia rolled their eyes, Alex reluctantly pulling his hand from hers, giving her far more than she needed, but it was better this way. He could see how stressed her body had been. "I gave you a bit more so you can help Jack give you more," He whispered to her, Jack arching a brow at the murmurs. He couldn't understand them, but judging by the way they looked at him, it was probably about him. And she'd probably tell him later. "I know you know how to start the converting process since you did it several times before. I advise you to do that."  
"I'll do it when he's ready," She mumbled back to him. "Thank you, Alex. I appreciate it," She said with a smile, ruffling his hair a bit, both Jack and Timothy arching a brow at the gesture. He blushed from her gentle touch, moving away from her. At six and a half feet tall, he towered over Jack and Timothy, and even Rhys, but especially Adelia. He looked at Tim with a smile while she glanced at Jack. "We'll go to the Vault tomorrow. When I'm not as tired," She said to Jack, Alex already knowing it was going to come to that after she passed out against him. Her body was far too immature to handle a pregnancy without repercussions, but it was what she wanted and he wouldn't stand in her way.

"Alright, Kitten," Jack nodded in agreeance, relief flashing across his face for a very brief moment, before returning to his usual expression. He was relieved she wasn't going there today; anyone with a brain could look at her and see she wasn't feeling well, and honestly, he was practically kicking himself for not listening to Rhys about it. "Let's get going then."

"Ah, I want to talk to you alone, first, Jack," He said, glancing down at Timothy, ignoring Jack's stern glare.

"I'll uh, I'll walk you out," Tim mumbled quickly, holding his hand out to Adelia, feeling Jack's eyes burn through him, a passive threat radiating around them as he sheepishly led her down the stairs.

"So," She mused sleepily, following alongside him, using his arm to keep her balance, which honestly only flustered him more. If Jack could see this, he'd kill him for sure. "You and Alex are thinking about doing what Jack and Rhys did for me?" 

He chuckled nervously, flushing under her grey, knowing gaze. Alex was honest with her about everything, so it really shouldn't surprise him that she knew, but it did. "A bit, yeah," He murmured, carefully sitting her down on the couch, his eyes watching her as she rubbed her bump slowly, closing her eyes.

"You two are cute together," She said with a smile, resting her head against the back of the couch. "I'm surprised you have so much patience with him, I know from experience he can be a hothead."  
"Aren't you?" Tim teased, chuckling when she giggled.

"I can be, yeah," She admitted with a grin, her eyes opening to gaze at him. He knew that from experience, especially watching her argue with Jack, or implying that they slept together. He often had thoughts of her after that encounter - not dirty ones, just thoughts -, thinking about how similar she had been to Alex. He grinned. That man had won him over entirely the night they met. "Listen," She started, her grin falling as she heard Jack and Alex arguing loudly above them. "Alex and I... Don't exactly have a good past. I'm sure you know that," She paused, seeing him nod understandingly. "I know that you're willing to sit down and calm him down, but we do tend to be stubborn. I remember having to hold him and sing lullabies to him when he was a kid when he'd get upset," She paused again, getting lost in those memories for a brief moment. "What I'm trying to say is, have patience with him. I know you will, but he's got more unresolved trauma than I do. I'm handling mine, but I can still sense the inner turmoil coming from him."  
"Can I ask what happened to him?" He asked meekly, his freckles standing out against his reddened cheeks. "He doesn't really talk about it much and I don't want to pry, but sometimes, the nightmares he has... They can get really bad. All he's ever talked about with his past was you, and even that was very vague. He just said you saved him and took care of him when he was a child," He frowned. It still didn't make sense to him. Alex was older than her, technically, at least, and he hadn't really delved into the details.

"I was twenty when the uprising began," She started softly, rubbing her stomach lightly. "His mother demanded to me to save him and his twin sister, and in my panic, I apparently teleported them elsewhere. I had no knowledge of this until he found me a few months ago, it was all a subconscious thing. I guess it's because I did and do consider him a son to an extent. I was always taking care of him and his sister, his father was... Less than thrilled to have a boy, so he often ran away to spend time with me day in and day out. He watched me create things out of nothing and followed me around as I delivered babies, monitored pregnancies, and all of that, which is why he has such vast knowledge on it and doesn't hesitate to remind me of things," She paused with a smile, seeing Timothy nod his head, attentively listening, despite the yelling going on above them still. "He was going to be my assistant when he came of age, we had decided that before - he knew as much as I did about pregnancies and well-being, and maybe even more. He often studied texts about it to help me out on things I was still learning. Since I couldn't sit down and study, he was more than willing to give me the information I needed on certain herbs, plants, and what have you. He was probably the only one in my tribe that fully believed my innocence before the uprising began," She hesitated on continuing, her fingers dancing against her bump absentmindedly. "I went into a stasis not long after I killed the one who started the uprising. She didn't know I saved him or his sister and I didn't even know. From what Alex has told me, his sister passed away not long after I fled to the Vault, before I even went into stasis. She had a terrible illness that I was trying to cure, but with the uprising, the sudden stop of treatments must have overpowered her. It's very rare that an Eridian can die. It has to be from a serious illness, the loss of their mates, or," She hesitated again. "Or they decide they don't want to be alive anymore. The only way to kill one is to have a Siren with the Leech ability drain the powers. That'll turn us to dust. But, if we're stronger than the Siren leeching from us, we can counter leech and overpower."

"So," Timothy finally butt in, preventing her from trailing off again. "You were like his mom?" He questioned, still hung up on the "son" remark.

She smiled at him, "Yeah, I suppose I was."

"That explains why he was so obsessed to find you when we first met. When he described you, he described you as a 'motherly figure that could calm even the wildest of souls'. Then said that you had grey eyes like his and I instantly knew who he was friggin' talking about," He said, the DNA coming through him at the end, making him groan. "God, I hate myself."  
She laughed, keeping her gaze on him. "It's alright," She reassured him, watching him watch her rub her stomach with his eyes. "Do you want to touch it?" She asked softly, seeing his face light up.

"Can I?" He asked excitedly, practically jumping over the table to sit next to her. "I wanted kids when I was younger, but then the crippling college debt and taking the contract," He mumbled, his hand reluctantly touching her stomach, eyes widening at how firm it felt. From afar, he figured it would've been softer than it was. Rubbing her stomach the way she was doing, mimicking it with a gentle touch, he froze when he felt two tiny kicks against his hand. "Amazing."

"You know," She whispered, covering her hand with his. "I still need a godfather for them."  
His eyes twinkled in delight at the thought, a grin breaking out across his face before it fell soon after. "But what if the DNA-"  
"Alex will be with you, and I doubt I'll be far away. I trust you," She answered, patting his hand lightly. "Besides, do you really think Alex will stay away from them? Just look at how many cats you have around your place."

He chuckled sheepishly, rubbing her stomach again. "To be honest, most of them came to me. One of them likes to sleep in my arms when I nap."  
"That's adorable," She responded, picturing Jack cuddling a cat similar to how Tim would, a grin breaking out across her face as a soft yawn came from her.

"What are you doing?" Jack hissed as he came down the stairs, the anger rushing up her spine suddenly, sending a chill up her spine, his eyes burning into Timothy.

"I was just, u-um," Tim started, panicking a bit.

"I made him rub my stomach," She said, seeing Timothy visibly relax next to her, his hand moving from her stomach. "He's going to be the Godfather, after all."  
"I didn't agree to that," Jack retorted, marching over to her, staring down at her with a harsh glare, one that she gladly returned, unfaltering. 

"You didn't have to," She argued, ending their discussion. "It's already decided and you're not changing my mind about it."

"You-"  
"It's decided," She reiterated, cutting his conversation off with a snippy response, Jack's hand clenching into a fist, making Timothy worry that Jack would hit her.

"I-I don't have to be-"  
"It's fine," She reassured, patting his arm, another yawn coming from her soon after, covering her mouth with her hand. Between the babies and Jack's anger, she was even more exhausted than before.

Relaxing his fist, he huffed in defeat, leaving Timothy there in disbelief. Jack never backed down from an argument - this was the first for him to witness. "C'mon, Honey," He mumbled, stepping closer to her as she grinned up at him, happy she had won the argument again, her arms wrapping around his neck once he bent down, feeling his hands rest against the back of her thighs and middle of her back, lifting her up with ease. "And Timtam," He started, glancing at him. "Don't forget you're going to Eden-6 next week."

"Yes, Jack," Tim mumbled, watching as the two of them left, the door shutting behind them. "Jesus, was it that bad?" He asked, turning his attention to Alex, who was holding a quickly healing black eye.

"He didn't like what I had to say, but it had to be said," Alex responded, making his way to the couch. "So what did you two talk about?"  
"Well..."

* * *

_**Back at Jack's... (10:00 PM)** _

Rhys was passed out in their bed, having had an aggressive day at work. With Atlas expanding to an HQ on Pandora, he found himself busier than not these days. Once the door was locked behind them, Jack dropped her on her feet, glaring down at her with a tense jaw, but she ignored it, rubbing her stomach as she made her way to the couch, taking a seat. She knew an argument was probably coming, she could feel it creeping up her spine.

"You wanna explain to me just what the _fuck_ happened?" He asked, his eyes staying on her, reluctantly making his way to the couch to sit next to her, the clips releasing the hold from his mask that he set on the table across from them.

"I got overpowered briefly by Alex," She answered, picking up her ECHO device from the table, booting up a game, which only infuriated him more. "I was also tired on top of it, so I just passed out."  
Reaching over, he snatched the ECHO from her, setting it on his armrest, far away from her, leaving her shooting an annoyed glare at him. "You had all of us scared, and you just friggin' shrug it off like it's nothing? As much as you visit him, how did he overpower you?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose before rubbing her throbbing head. She knew it was coming. "I was _tired_. I haven't exactly been sleeping well by waking up every few hours to vomit. Plus, I'm nearly in my second trimester, I'm _going_ to be weaker than before. It happens."

"Nah, see, I don't want to hear none of that 'it happens' bullshit," He spoke angrily reaching over to grab her arm, forcing her to look at him with widened eyes. "What's the real reason?"

"I told you the real reason," She shot back, yanking her arm out of his hand, rubbing where he had gripped. "I was tired. I took too much at once instead of doing it in a small amount at a time. He just went through the male equivalent of our cycle, it was stronger than before. I forgot about that and tried to leech my normal amount but it was too much too fast. And I was already exhausted, instead of easing up, I just passed out."

He grit his teeth, his jaw tensing at her. "Why did he say you were younger than ideal for the pregnancy?"  
"I believe we very briefly talked about it in passing," She mumbled, resting her head against her hand on the armrest.

"Are you at risk?" He asked softly, his fists clenching. He finally found someone to make him feel like a human again, someone who had patience and understanding with him and now-  
"No," She answered honestly, gazing at him. "I'm not. If I was, I would have lost them by now. I'm almost at full-term for a human. The worse that could happen is they'll be stillborn," She mumbled the last part, breaking her gaze from his worried one.

"Then why did Alex seem to think you were at risk earlier?" He murmured softly, scooting himself over to her, taking her hand in his, his calloused finger running across her knuckles.

"I can still lose the babies," She answered just as gently, looking up at him. "Which can lead to an infection if I'm not careful. Eridians don't pass them as humans do. We have to be cut open to deliver, and if I lose one this late, it's possible I'd lose the other unless I could get it removed without putting the other baby at risk." He stayed quiet, his rough fingers brushing across her smooth knuckles, a light blush dusting across her face at the gentle gesture. "But," She added on, moving her other hand to gingerly cup his cheek, his eyes shifting to hers. "I'm almost technically full-term. Just a few more months and, in the worst-case scenario, I deliver earlier than I want. I think he was scared that would be what happens. If I'm not careful, I can force early labor, and, as I had said before, if that happens, they would be more human than Eridian."

He stayed quiet, half-listening. His mind was still hung up on the thought that he could've lost her or their child earlier. His mind was reeling. How could he, Handsome Jack, fall into such a way of life with her? For years, he was alone, and then she waltzes into his life and makes him actually look forward to waking up beside her. To look forward to making things better for the universe, something he felt die after Angel betrayed him. The whole reason he wanted to scrap Pandora and start over again was so Angel could have a safe place to be. But now, that was easily achievable. With her help, they had conquered a good bit of the bandit problem on Pandora. At least, for now.

"Jack," She whispered, snapping him out of his thoughts, his eyes shifting to hers again. "Are you okay?"

"Just fine, Pumpkin," He answered, resting his thumb against her knuckles. She frowned, her thumb soft against his cheek as she caressed it in soft, slow motions. This argument ended vastly different from how she expected it to, and honestly, she was wondering what Alex could've possibly told him. "You should go to bed," He said, cutting her off before she could begin.

"Jack-"  
"Bed," He repeated with odd gentleness, pulling himself from her touch, his hand moving from hers, a look of turmoil creeping across his features.

She chewed the inside of her cheek, scooting over to him again, her left hand resting against his cheek. "What has you upset, Daddy?" She asked softly.

"Nothin', Kitten," He said with a cocky grin, but it didn't hold the confidence he usually held. She arched a brow, keeping her gaze on his, watching his grin falter. "I don't want to lose you, too," He mumbled out, his vulnerable side showing once again. "Earlier, when you were in Alex's bed and he was friggin' panicking more than a chicken with its head cut off, I didn't know if you were going to wake up. I shook you and whispered to you, but..."  
"I'm not going anywhere unless I have to, Jack," She comforted him in a soft voice, his body relaxing a bit before he leaned down, hugging her tightly, his head resting against her bosom, a small smile on her face, her left hand slowly moving through his voluminous locks. "I'm sorry I scared you. I didn't mean to let myself get so tired. I guess I just pushed myself too hard," She spoke gently to him, feeling his hands grip her back tightly, holding her rather protectively. Compared to Rhys, Jack was far clingier, and that didn't bother her or Rhys a bit. She knew to expect it when Rhys came back into the picture full-time and was grateful that Rhys didn't seem to mind.

"Stay with me, tomorrow," He mumbled out, squeezing her tightly.  
"I can't," She whispered to him, running her hand through his hair. "Rhys and I will need to go to the Vault. You agreed with that earlier. You'd go with me to Alex and Tim's, and Rhys would go with me to the Vault."

He let out an audible groan, nuzzling his face against her breasts more, squeezing her once again. "Plans can change," He murmured out.

"Jack, it'll be fine," She answered, smiling down at him. "I spent all day yesterday and today with you. I know you don't like sharing right now, but you have to," She whispered to him, running her fingers through his hair lightly. He grunted in response, closing his eyes. After he confessed his love for her, he had grown clingy to her, which she didn't mind, but she never expected this much. It was oddly cute, to see someone who built up his reputation as being a jackass, a royal hardass, and someone who just overall murdered anyone who disagreed with him, to be cuddling her so intimately, spending all his time with her, being clingy and touchy with her, sincerely smiling at her, and letting her win arguments when usually, he'd do anything to win.

"I wish you would've let me kill that Maliwan asshole," He mumbled out, his hands rubbing across her back, wanting to feel the heartbeat of his child again.

She arched a brow, allowing her markings to flood her skin again, his hand stilling as he listened to the three heartbeats. "I know, but you know that I don't like that."

"You don't flinch when it does happen," He argued.

"Still, it doesn't mean I like to see it."  
"So, if I had done it without you being around, you would've let me kill him?" He mused, a sadistic grin on his face.

"Jack, he's literally a bandit's handmaid. Do you really think death would've been a good enough punishment for him?"

He stayed quiet, listening to the heartbeats, saying nothing for a few moments. "I just don't want you going down there without any friggin' protection, Kitten. Especially now."

"I know," She whispered in an understanding tone, her fingers moving from his hair to cover her mouth as she let out a soft yawn. "That's why you're having Rhys build the new base right by my oasis, huh?" She teased, running her right hand along his still clothed shoulder.

He chuckled, picking his head up to be eye level with her, his lips coming close to hers. "Is it a problem if I am?"

"Not at all," She whispered, moving both of her hands to his cheeks, bringing her lips to his in a gentle kiss.

_**AN: smut** _

But the gentle kiss was short-lived, his hands already finding their way under her tank top, pulling it off of her in one sudden movement, a hushed moan coming from her when he attacked her neck with his lips, his teeth grazing against her pale skin, giving her soft nibbles. She slid her hands into his hair, giving it a gentle tug, his eyes shifting up to hers as he allowed her to guide his head this time. He was already vulnerable, what was a bit more? He groaned when she kissed his lips hungrily, all the passion and love she felt for him creeping through his body - a weird sensation, seeing as he normally ignored her feelings unless it was something major, but this? This he liked. He chuckled at her fingers bumbling against his vest clips, moving his hands under hers to undo them for her, breaking their kiss once again to pull all of his layers off, revealing his toned body to her, a smirk on his face while she looked him over with a reddened face. Sliding his hands to her shorts, he undid them with ease, his lips taking hers captive once again, his hands easing both them and her panties off as she raised her hips, complying with him. He felt her hands undoing his jeans, a slight moan coming from his throat when his erected girth sprung free. His body shuddered when her warm fingers trailed along the bottom of his shaft, taunting him.

"Sit back," She whispered to him, breaking their kiss. Arching a brow, he lifted his hips, shoving his jeans down past his knees before he complied, his hands gripping her thighs roughly as she straddled him, purposely preventing him from entering her while she lowered herself down, her hips rocking against him in slow, teasing motions, every few movements earning her a faint groan. She slid her hands into his hair once again, tugging on the back of his hair, his head tilting back from her pull, allowing her to take control, for now, his grip on her thighs tightening while she peppered the right of his jawline in gentle kisses, a moan coming from him when she bit down in the middle of his neck, her mouth sucking the skin roughly, leaving him marked as hers.

Moving her right hand down, she softly cupped his neck in her hand, her fingers rubbing against him in a way he didn't think could be sensual or romantic, but it made him a mess beneath her, his heterochromatic eyes closing as she marked his neck more and more, her grinding gradually growing more aggressive each time, hushed moans coming from her, his girth rubbing against her wet slit was driving her mad, but she wanted to enjoy this. She barely had the chance to take charge of him, and she wasn't going to let it go to waste.

Gliding her right hand back up a bit, she lightly rubbed the spot of skin next to his ear with her thumb, her finger softly dancing along his skin, stopping only when she reached his earlobe, sending a shiver throughout his body, his hands pawing at her thighs more and more. "...Inside," He mumbled out to her, a smirk growing across her lips at his slightly flushed face. He hardly ever blushed for her, so she _knew_ she was doing a good job with him. "I want to be inside, Kitten," He breathed out, every ounce of dominance having long left his body for the night.

"Yes, Daddy," She whispered against his ear, giving the side of his forehead a soft kiss. This vulnerable side he was showing was nothing short of adorable to her - sexy, even, to know that he finally trusted her enough to be this exposed. Lifting herself up by her knees, he slid his right hand down, holding his cock up for her, rubbing it against her wet slit as she got ready to lower herself on him, a hushed moan coming from them both when she slid down on him, allowing him to penetrate her, both of them keeping eye contact with one another. His hands danced across from her thighs to her hips, slowly guiding her up and down movements, his eyes staring at her as she tilted her head back, faint moans coming from her each time he brought her down. Moving his head to her breasts, he slid his tongue out, flickering it back and forth against her hardened, rosy bud, rising a sharp inhale from her chest as she bit her lip, her hips moving on their own with minimal guidance from him, keeping a steady pace. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel and taste of her, his mouth taking her nipple in his mouth fully, giving it a rough suckle, his hands grasping at her sides, a few groans of pleasure coming from him. 

She wanted to be rough, to ride him as if her life depended on it, but she knew if she did, she'd be risking harm to their babies, and judging by him gripping at her skin, seemingly fighting all of his urges to pound inside of her, he knew the same. Had it been any other position but this one, that would've been a different story, however, this slow-paced lovemaking wasn't something either of them could complain about. It was different this time; this time symbolized their trust for each other. Her marks were out and he was tracing along them with his thumbs subconsciously, which honestly, only stimulated her further. 

He released her nipple from his mouth with an audible _pop_ , his bi-colored eyes gazing up at her lewd face, taking in her features - a heart-shaped face, with hickeys from Rhys and himself, faded against her pale throat. Freckles, covering her face in littered little spots, her rosy lips slightly swollen from all the abuse they've seen in the past few months, but it looked good on her. Her grey eyes, a perfect, almond shape, closed as she let out hushed moans each time she brought herself down on him. And her nose, the perfect size for her face. She was the definition of beauty to him. And she was _his -_ and Rhy's, but still his. The mother of his future child. Their child. He could almost cry at how happy he was right at this moment. He had seen her time and time again, but he never really took in her features like he was now. He didn't think he'd allow her to stay around long enough to get attached like he was.

"H-hah, f-fuck," She gasped out, trying to keep her volume down so they wouldn't wake Rhys, the whimsical voice he loved so dearly sending shivers down his spine, his eyes shifting to meet her open ones now, his hands guiding her hips once again, growing slightly in aggression, but still being mindful of the position. It wasn't the first time she had rode him, but it was the first time she's done it since she miscarried the other child - one of _his_ children. He wasn't going to lose the other one by letting his aggression and dominance run free.

He said nothing as she brought her lips to his, feeling her legs twitch against her side as she stilled her hips, taking him inside of her to his hilt, a hushed moan coming from him once again, one of his hands caressing up her body, his left hand tangling in her hair, pushing her closer to him, his right hand staying on her side, hesitantly guiding her again, feeling her muscles tighten around him, a low groan coming from him when she bit down on his bottom lip to hold in her moan, her hands moving to cup his face, deepening their kiss. He stilled his hands again, feeling her begin to rock against him, clearly wanting to ride out her orgasm, but he didn't mind, he was nearing his own, gladly returning her kiss with a rough one of his own. He normally hated this and she knew it, but this time, he didn't mind it. If he had minded being this submissive, this gentle with her, he would've stopped them before it started. She shuddered, her fingers grazing along the bottom of his marks, the familiar warmth engulfing him while she leeched from him, enjoying her moaning into his mouth, her muscles clenching him tightly, releasing her climax against him. Thrusting his hips a few times, she let out a sudden, sharp moan, his eyes narrowing at their sudden broke kiss, right hand flying up to cover her mouth, a slight smirk on his face.

"You're going to wake Rhysie, Honey," He purred to her lowly, seeing her hazy eyes gazing down at him lovingly, feeling her breath against his hand as she moaned, her back arching when he suddenly slammed his entire length inside of her, letting his head rest against the back of the couch, releasing his seed inside of her, a low moan coming from him. Uncovering her mouth, he relaxed his hips, feeling her hands rest on his cheeks, his blue and green eyes gazing into her grey ones, before they both closed their eyes, meeting in a passionate kiss, his hands dancing down her body, stopping at her thighs once again, caressing her smooth skin with his rough hands lazily.

"I love you," She whispered to him when they broke their kiss, both of them panting, her thumbs rubbing against his cheekbones slowly. They had been intimate before, but never like this. The trust, the love they felt for each other was different this time. It felt like they were finally on the same page, and honestly, the sex was amazing, even for him considering how gentle and slow it had been.

He grinned at her, chuckling when she rolled her eyes, already knowing what was coming. "Of course you do," He whispered back, his right hand gripping her hair, a slight gasp coming from her as he brought her close to his face again. "I'm Handsome Jack," He paused, "And, I love you, Adelia," He added the last part in, seeing her cheeks redden to a bright crimson, his lips capturing hers in a heated kiss once again.

_**AN: Smut over.** _

Aside from taking a shower after they finished, they headed to bed soon after their ordeal. Rhys woke up briefly when she climbed between the two of them, but quickly fell back to sleep when she curled up to his chest, Jack wrapping his arm around her from behind, hand resting on the bump. Few words were shared between them before they fell asleep or during their shower, but that was alright with both of them. Not much else needed to be said. The vulnerability he showed her earlier had proved to her he trusted her, and, judging from the fact that he wasn't burnt, he finally felt at ease with her. 

* * *

_**The next day, Pandora (12:43 PM)** _

Rhys held Adelia's hand as she led him through the familiar rocks. Jack still didn't fully trust Alex, and she understood that, so she agreed they'd take a shuttle and walk there. Jack, of course, took this as a means of advantage, trailing along with them. He swore he wouldn't go into the Vault with them, but he'd be there for 'protection', and honestly, as he shot down another straggling psycho, she was glad he had tagged along. Timothy was attempting to help, but Jack continually outshot him, which honestly relieved the doppelganger - he was a good aim, but he still felt bad killing people. Alex, on the other hand, was smoking a cigarette, trailing alongside Timothy, both of them following behind Rhys and Adelia. 

"If you want to back out, I won't hate you," Alex finally said, glancing at Timothy.

"I don't want to, Baby," He answered without missing a beat, both of them shooting a glare at the groaning man behind them.

"We're here," She called back to them, her hand gripping Rhys's rather tightly, the taller man still having had issues stumbling through the terrain, even with her placing a protective shield on his feet. 

Jack adjusted one of his many layers, squatting down over the hidden fast travel station, hiding it fully with his foot, his eyes glancing over at Rhys and Adelia. She looked breath-taking, as always. A white sun hat on her black hair, a white dress strikingly similar to the one he met her in flowing around her, and she remained barefoot. Despite him and Rhys arguing with her. Rhys, on the other hand, was wearing a beige and yellow tank top and a pair of black jeans. Absolutely clownery. At least, to Jack. 

"Where?" Timothy asked, wearing clothes mirroring Jack's usual attire. He would've worn something different, but seeing as he'd need to prep for his departure to Eden-6 soon, it was easier for him to just dress as he should. Alex, on the other hand, was wearing a red tank top and black cargo shorts, sneakers similar to Jack's - only black and red - on his feet as he stared down at the hole.

"Down here?" Alex asked, glancing at Adelia.

"Yep!" She said with a smile. "Let us go first," She continued, tugging Rhys behind her, pausing when she reached Jack, taking her sunhat off. "Don't get sunburnt," She said with a smile, setting the hat on him, to which he just rolled his eyes, a cocky grin on his face.

"Yeah, don't get sunburnt. You were awfully red enough this morning," Rhys teased, chuckling when she giggled but stopping promptly when Jack shot a glare at him. "S-sorry..."

"Play nice," She chastised, rubbing her stomach lightly. "I'll go first," She said, releasing Rhys's hand from her own, carefully sitting down on the hole before falling through, a loud screech coming from the hole, causing Timothy and Alex to cautiously peer down it, seeing her being set down by a Rakk.

"No way, they survived?" Alex mused in excitement, hastily sliding down the hole after her, despite Rhys trying to stop him. Adelia turned her head at the figure falling through the hole, pointing her finger to him, the Rakk cautiously looking at her before flying off to snatch him out of the air, tossing him onto the ground next to her, not being graceful at all before the bird landed on her arm.   
"Was that necessary?" She chastised to the Rakk, scratching under the chin as it squawked at him. "I know you remember him, be nice," she continued to chastise, moving her finger before the Rakk could snap at her. "Go get Rhys and Timothy," She ordered, the bird letting out a lazy squawk, Alex staring up at it in excitement as the Skags slowly started to approach, curious about the newcomers. Suddenly, Timothy came falling down the hole less than graceful, Jack's howling laughter nearly overpowering Tim's scream as he fell, the scream echoing throughout the cave, forcing her to cover her mouth to hide her laughter, the other Rakks grabbing him by his feet, attempting to carry him down, but letting him land facedown on the soft grass, luckily without injury.

"You okay there, Tim?" She asked through stifled laughter, Alex bending down to help him up.

"F-fine," He mumbled, the Rakk on her arm taking off quickly to catch Rhys as he dropped down, placing him gently next to her, landing on his head, making him roll his eyes.

"Yes, yes, I missed you too, Berthette," Rhys said, scratching the Rakk's chin lightly, quickly tackled by the Skag pup that had attacked to him. "Eugh, gross," He said with a few laughs, getting slobber all over his face. "I've missed you too, Tony."

"Berthette?" She mused with an arched brow. "Tony?"

"Yes," He said, shoving the skag he named 'Tony' off of him. He barked at him, before running off to fetch a stick, her Rakk landing on her shoulder, staring down at Rhys. "I had to call them something, it felt wrong not to."

"Amazing," Alex said excitedly, moving close to Berthette, getting his face snapped at quickly, falling back a bit against Timothy.

"Hey," She said sternly, shooting a glare at Berthette. "Be nice."

"Is that one of the ones you made with me?" He asked, reaching out to the pouting bird, cautiously rubbing her head, Berthette's eyes watching him closely.

"Yes, she's the first one I made," Adelia answered, holding her hand out to Berthette, watching as the bird twice her size hesitantly stood on her hand, staring at Alex closely. "The one you used to play with."

"Woah, why's it look like that?" Timothy finally piped up, stepping close as Alex carefully took Berthette from her, scratching under the Rakk's chin.

"It's an original," Alex answered for Adelia, Rhys having been drug off by Tony to play fetch with him, the alpha of the Skags sitting and watching Timothy and Alex closely.

"The last of them," She added on, watching as the Rakk took off soon after, going to her nest, her eyes glancing at the alpha Skag who just snorted, watching them. "We should get you to the Vault. The Alpha will play nice for now, but I'm not sure how long he will. He wanted to rip Jack's throat out the first time he came in here, and now that you look like Jack but aren't," She paused, seeing Tim sheepishly nod. "Rhys, we're going," She called out to the man who was tossing a stick across the cave for the skag.

"Okay!" He exclaimed, petting Tony's head. "I'll be back in a minute," He promised, hearing the pup whine, chuckling a bit. "We'll play more then, I promise," He reassured, following behind the other three as she led them to the Vault.

She paused, looking at Rhys, holding her hand out to him, "Ready?"  
"Ready," He beamed down at her, both of them glancing back at Alex and Tim. 

"Don't raise your weapon, if you still have it-"  
"Jack took it," Tim mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, good," She smiled, both her and Rhys stepping through the portal with the other two in tow, the familiar warmth washing over all of them.

"Creator," The Wraith called out, rising from the pedestal it rested on, taking a few steps around it to face them. "I see you come bearing children. And with another? I am surprised."  
"Yes," Adelia said with a smile, rubbing the bump on her stomach, Rhys beaming proudly next to her as they all walked toward the pedestal. "However, I am here for them to mark each other. They're not for me."  
"Interesting decision," The Wraith said, turning to look at Alex. "You are familiar."  
"He was the little one back when I made you," She answered the Wraith's curiosity.

"Ah, my, how you have grown. It is nice to see another familiar face," It answered, moving to point to the portal by the Guardian. "Go through that gate and you will know how to mark your mate. Though I must warn, I have been told it is quite painful," It paused, glancing at Rhys.

"Very painful," He murmured, his cybernetic hand rubbing his regular arm, remembering the searing pain he felt for days.

Alex looked at Timothy, "Are you sure-"  
"For the last time, Alex, yes," Timothy said, turning to cup the taller male's cheeks. "We've been talking about this for the last two years. It's what I want."

Hesitantly, Alex glanced at Adelia and Rhys, who were too busy whispering sweet nothings amongst themselves, giving the two of them privacy. Chewing on his bottom lip, he smiled, giving Timothy a sweet kiss on the lips. "Then, let's go make this official," He whispered to the other, both of them walking toward the gate, the Wraith and Guardian watching them curiously.

"I know Jack's probably annoying you right now," She whispered to him while Timothy and Alex's footsteps retreated further into the Vault. "But, I think he's just scared I'll hurt him."  
"It's not that bad," Rhys reassured her, his hands cupping her cheeks, his face resting lightly against hers. "I still get you to myself in the daytime, usually. I can deal with him tagging along. Honestly, I feel safer that he did," He confessed, seeing her smile up at him.

"I'm sorry we haven't gotten to spend the last few days together," She mumbled to him.

"That's okay," He whispered, his thumbs grazing her cheeks, the cold metallic touch sending shivers down her spine. "I had you first. It's only fair he makes up for lost time. Besides," He paused, glancing at the Wraith who was watching the other Vault door, his mouth moving close to her ear. "I get you all to myself eight hours a day, usually. And I get to sleep with you when we leave early in the mornings. It's a perfect compromise. Plus, I've been busy with working on blueprints for the location to be built near here."

"I just feel bad I haven't been able to give you enough attention," She murmured against his cheek, watching as he pulled away, meeting his bi-colored brown eyes with her grey ones.

"You've given me plenty, stop worrying," He reassured again. "I'm happy. I still get you in the days four times a week usually. Unless it's the rotation weeks. But that's fine," He continued to say, bringing his lips to hers soon after in a gentle, loving kiss, one that she happily returned. She loved them both, but Rhys would always be closer to her. He was her first willing mark. The one who took her virginity. Her first kiss, her first cuddle, her first for nearly everything. He knew that too.

"Creator," The Wraith finally spoke up, breaking up their sappy talk. "While I am thrilled you decided to attempt to replenish your kind, are you sure it is wise for you to be pregnant this young?"

"I'm sure," She said, glancing over at the figure, feeling the worry creep up her spine from Rhys. "I'm confident in my body. If I had not met Alex, then maybe I would have been more stressed about it, but right now, I have two on the way, and from what I can tell, they're healthy."

"They are healthy," The Wraith agreed, moving to reveal the pedestal. "However, I am worried that you will meet the same fate as your mother-"  
"I don't intend to pass on my powers as she did. Not until I'm ready," She answered, slowly moving closer to the pedestal, Rhys moving with her, helping her up, the Eridium pulsing around it as it absorbed into her marks that reappeared suddenly.

"Are you sure it is wise with him?" It asked, referring to Jack. "He did enslave his daughter to charge a Vault key-"  
"Eridians can't charge Vault keys," She said, rubbing the bump on her stomach slowly, her marks slowly fading into a purple color. "Only I can, and even that's a risky thing."

The Wraith stayed quiet, staring at Adelia's markings. "It seems as if you will carry to full-term healthily. Purple is an excellent sign. You are leeching more than enough to support yourself and them."

"See?" She spoke with a smile. "All is well."

"Why did they do that?" Rhys asked, his cybernetic fingers trailing along the markings.

"We made these pedestals to monitor the health of pregnant Eridians. If they were in good health, the Eridium would change their marks to purple. If were in bad health, their markings would stay the same."  
"That explains why they didn't change before," He mumbled, watching her with a small smile rub her stomach. "But, didn't you create Eridium?"  
"I did," She answered. "They would be infused with a tiny bit of my life essence so I could monitor their health."

"Eridium is not hard to make," The Wraith spoke up, picking up a rock from the side of the Vault, holding it between its fingers, before it started to turn purple, glowing like Eridium. "A rock and a micro amount of power, and you have fresh Eridium."

"I didn't know you could make it, too," Rhys said, blinking a bit.  
"I regulate the Eridium deposits throughout the planet. The Creator was nice enough to bless me with that. However, Creator," The Wraith said, leaving Rhys blinking. "While I am happy to see you wanting to bring Eridians back, what happens when the rogue Sirens come in a few years?"

"I'll protect them," She said, enjoying the Eridium flowing through her body. Leeching was nice, but this felt much better, probably because it was her power from years ago coursing through her veins, gradually restoring her back to her former status. 

"You are growing near to your previous potential, but I am worried childbirth will leave you weak."  
"It's not like it used to be. There are actually doctors with proper medical equipment now. Sanitized equipment."  
"I'm confused," Rhys mumbled, glancing between her and the Wraith, his own markings feeling weird against his skin.

"We don't give birth naturally," She answered, glancing at him. "We have to have, what humans call, a c-section. Our muscles don't work like humans do to give natural birth."

He frowned, gripping her hand tightly in his, her thumb rubbing over her knuckles slowly. "However," The Wraith piped up. "There were a lot of infections in the previous millennia from this method. If what the Creator is saying is true, then there shouldn't be much to worry about. There was a large lack of sanitizing methods before. Only powers similar to hers could heal infections, and that was a risky chance alone."

"Wait, so was there more than one like her-"  
"No," She answered for him, squeezing his hand lightly. "I was the only one. There were others who could heal, but not to the extent I could. I traveled between the tribes to check on everyone-"

"Which is why there are so many pedestals scattered throughout the planet," The Wraith said, cutting her off.

She opened her mouth to add onto it, but shut it, hearing Timothy's groans, all of them turning to stare at them. Alex had a look of guilt on his face while Tim barely held onto him, his arm gripping the taller male's arm like his life depended on it. On his face was a mark similar to Jack's, only slightly larger, extending further down his cheeks, a faint beginning of one on his throat, leading down under his shirt, showing that there was probably more underneath, the white bandage standing out against the tan skin, the bright golden look of a fresh mark shining through it. She could only imagine how bad it was, considering Jack's covered nearly his entire back like an explosion had scarred him. It wasn't uncommon for the Eridian to feel guilt about the pain their mate was in, but after a few days, the mate returned to normal. However, given that Timothy was heading to Eden-6 today, he didn't have time to rest.

"I see the marking was successful," The Wraith said, walking around the pedestal to face Tim and Alex fully, leaving Rhys and Adelia to gaze at each other quietly. "You should leave them uncovered for a few days to ensure a speedy recovery."

"He can't," Alex mumbled, setting Tim down quickly when he collapsed, being mindful to not let him hurt himself. 

"This is a normal reaction," The Wraith continued, stepping closer to them, the footsteps echoing in the Vault. "For someone who is not the dominant one. He will be fine in a few hours."

"Isn't there anything-"  
"I am afraid not," It stated, reaching out to touch the shaking male, a sudden glow forming from the Wraith's hand and Timothy, before subsiding. "I have given a micro amount of the Creator's stored life force to him. He will recover soon." The Wraith paused, "Seeing as things are going well, Creator, I will expect you back in a few months."

"Of course," She said, smiling when Rhys held his hand out to her, helping her off of the pedestal, her marks returning to the normal, blue color against her skin, before fading away. Tim groaned, slowly standing back up with the help of Alex, following behind Adelia and Rhys.

* * *

Jack had sat down on the ground not long after Rhys slipped through the hole, huffing a bit. He wanted to go down there with them, but he knew it wouldn't be fair. Or in the agreement he and Rhys settled on. He glanced down at her hat, a small grin on his face. He probably should be wearing it, but he just had it sitting in his lap, his foot covering the tiny fast travel station, occasionally shooting a psycho or bandit that came running at him. There weren't many left around here, but a few stragglers throughout the land where there were no cities weren't uncommon. Hearing the familiar sound of her Rakk screeching, followed by Timothy's less-than-manly scream, he laughed, slowly standing up, keeping his foot covering the small port in the ground, placing her hat on his head as he arched a brow at the shaking Tim, that was practically tossed on the ground.

"Timtam, your fear of heights gets more and more amusing the more I hear you scream," He teased to his doppelganger, earning a glare in response, his grin falling at a similar mark on Tim's face. Unlike him, though, the mark on his neck seemed to extend toward his chest. "Guess ya have a friggin' reason to wear the mask more often now." 

"I wore it anyway," Tim mumbled, slowly standing up as Alex landed next to him, dusting his shirt off.

"I'm going to Eden-6 with Tim," Alex said, glancing at Jack, who just shrugged. He really didn't care. "Make sure you're mindful of her."  
"It's only a week, she'll be fine," Jack responded as the Berthette carefully set Rhys down, before diving back into the hole, carrying Adelia up carefully. Once she was set down, her creation shot a warning glare at Jack, earning an eyeroll from him. She never did like him.

"Yes, yes, I'll be back soon," She said, scratching the head of the Rakk, who tweeted happily, before descending back into the cave.

"We'll be off," Alex said, glancing at Adelia and Rhys. "I'm going to Eden-6 with Tim, so-"  
"I know," She said with a smile, stepping toward Jack, pulling her hat off of his head. "Be safe. I'll see you next week."

"Of course, mom," He said with a nod, leaving all of them arching a brow at him aside from her. "I mean, uh..."  
"Mom?" Jack taunted with a grin.

"Hush, leave him alone," She said, smacking Jack's arm lightly, making Rhys cover his mouth to stifle his laughter. He really didn't mind that Alex called her mom, considering Adelia had filled him in about their relationship beforehand. Honestly, he could see why Alex thought of her as a mom, she had been very protective and motherly to him since he revealed who he was to her, even more so now that she was pregnant.

Jack rolled his eyes, taking her hat back from her. "Fine," He sighed in exasperation, pretending to flip his hair over his shoulder, earning a hard glare from her.

Stepping around him, she reached out and gripped Alex's hands. "Be careful and safe. Remember what I told you about treating his marks."  
"I will," He said sheepishly. Timothy didn't really say anything about the 'mom' comment. If anything, he was more relieved to know Alex felt safe around her, considering how jumpy he was otherwise. "Jakobs hasn't issued an attack on Atlas or Hyperion, but I'm not sure how they feel about Anshin showing up on their planet with 'Jack', so please be careful and watch your backs. We won't be able to bail you out if things go sour."

"I know," He mumbled, rolling his eyes at how protective she was being, but given that they both thought the other was dead, it was no surprise they'd be overbearing toward each other, especially since he really did think of her as his mother quite a bit. She glanced at Jack, before standing on her tiptoes, his face lowering down so she could whisper in his ear. 

"I left some small Eridium pieces at your place before we left in case things do go south. Don't be afraid to use your powers if you need to. I know you can only Phaselock and leech, but try not to kill anyone. Humans can be a good source of energy, but they can't handle it like our mates can. It should only be in a life or death situation."  
"I know," He mumbled again, grinning down at her as he stood up. "Thank you, Adelia. I'll see you next week."  
"See you next week, and Timothy, the pain will subside in a few hours," She said with a smile toward the doppelganger, getting a nod in response. He really couldn't speak right now, he was trying to bite back vomit.

"Let's go, Babe," Alex whispered to Tim, leading him away.

"We should head back to Helios, too," Jack said, stepping next to her, Rhys moving to the other side of her, taking her hand in his cybernetic one, sending a sudden shiver up her spine.

"Okay," She said with a smile, Jack crouching down to activate the fast travel hidden in the ground, the travel menu popping up, selecting his office on Helios, his hand reaching out to her as she stepped closer to him, placing her free hand in his. Selecting the confirm button, they dematerialized.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The names for the Rakk and Skag were picked out by my close friend Shelby. Thank you so much for supporting me all the time bb. ♥


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like before, I will be switching between Adelia + Rhys and Jack's POV in the early bit of this chapter. I will note each shift.

_**Five days later... Promethea (12:45 PM)** _

Adelia rubbed her stomach slowly with Jacob and Marie, blushing furiously at Maude gushing about the pregnancy, saying how she "just knew" Adelia was pregnant to Rhys, who just chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, his face flared a bright crimson. "Woah, I felt one kick!" Jacob exclaimed excitedly, pulling his hand from her tummy, Marie pouting a bit, rubbing Adelia's bump slowly, trying to feel a kick of her own. "I thought you were just gettin' fat, Miss Adelia!" He said with childish innocence, rubbing the back of his head when Maude smacked him (lightly) across the back of the head. "Ow."  
"It's not nice to call someone fat, Jacob," She said, wagging her finger at him. 

"I felt one!" Marie finally exclaimed, the small kick pressing against her tiny hand, leaving her clapping in glee. 

"Wait, does this mean Miss Adelia won't be playin' anymore?" Jacob said, crossing his arms in a pout.

"I can still play," She said with a smile, messing up Jacob's blonde hair, glancing at Rhys, who was staring at her for help as Maude continued to gush to him about it. She seemed more excited about it than her, Jack, and Rhys did combined. "I just can't be as rough as I was before, so no more tackling."

"That sucks," He said with a huff. 

"It'll be okay," She said, grinning at him. "Maybe when my kids are big enough, they can play with you and you can teach them how to tackle," She praised to him, seeing his face light up.

"It's a deal!" He exclaimed happily, both him and Marie running off to play when Rhys stood up, rubbing the back of his head with his cybernetic hand.

"It's been a pleasure to see you two, again," Maude said, watching as Rhys helped her stand up. Her stomach had grown a bit more over the past days and was at the max it would probably grow, a very noticeable bump protruding against Rhys's baggy shirt. She had grown bigger than expected, but with twins, it wasn't a surprise to her, and, honestly, much to Rhys and Jack's delight, her breasts had grown more sensitive and a bit larger - not much larger, but definitely noticeably larger. "Do take care of yourself, Miss Adelia," She continued with a grin, taking Adelia's free hand in hers, squeezing it tightly. "There's no doubt in my mind that you'll make a fantastic mother."

"Thank you, Maude," She responded with a smile, feeling his arm wrap around her waist. 

"And I'm sure Mister Strongfork here will make a great father. He's beaming right now, just look at him," The older woman teased, making Rhys blush all over again, a grin on his lips. "And twins at that! I bet Mister Jackass is just as flattered," She added on, making Adelia roll her eyes at the nickname, a slight smile on her lips. Jack had somewhat restored his reputation with her help, so people could withstand him more, but there was still a general dislike of him throughout the universe, but nobody really tried to overstep their boundaries, especially with her. 

"He is," Adelia answered. "We do need to get going though, Maude. I appreciate you allowing us the time to talk to you," She added on, blinking at the sudden hug from the older woman, giving a gentle one in return, staring at Rhys, confused.

"I'm so happy for you," Maude whispered to her. "Be safe on your endeavors on Pandora, I'm sure Miss Lorelei will handle Promethea well."

"Thank you," Both Rhys and Adelia said, giving the older woman a smile. 

"We'll pop in from time to time," She promised, giving a small wave to Maude, giving a tight hug to Marie and a head pat to Jacob, who was pouting that she didn't get to play as much as usual.

_**AN: Smut. Finally some time with Rhysie heh.** _

They stayed quiet on the way back to Atlas headquarters, a knowing glance being shared between them as they entered the elevator. It was almost time for her to leech, and with that, came sex, and Rhys was more than ecstatic, seeing as Jack had had her with him the past three days. As soon as the elevator closed, he pushed her against the wall, both of them sharing a fevered kiss, a hushed moan coming from her, feeling his hands sliding under her (his) shirt that stopped in the middle of her thighs, his fingers edging under her panties, grasping her ass roughly. 

"Rhysie, no-" She whispered out against his lips, staring up at him with hazy, lustful eyes, her hands gripping his shirt loosely. "I don't want to have speedy sex in an elevator. I want it to be in your bed," She murmured to him, his fallen face shifting into an upward grin.

"Of course, Baby," He whispered back to her, hesitantly moving his hand away from her rear, fixing the bottom of her shirt.

"Remember, you can't be extremely rough with me," She murmured to him, sliding her hands up to his neck, her warm fingers grazing against his neck, purposely tracing his black tattoo with the tips of her index and middle fingers, smiling when his skin flooded in goosebumps, his grin turning into a smile, his hands resting on her hips.

"I know, Addy," He answered, his lips meeting hers in a less fevered kiss, both of them sharing the love they felt for one another in that kiss. Hearing the ding of the elevator, he slid his cybernetic hand down, cupping the back of her thighs with it, causing her to shiver as he lifted her up, grinning at her giggle, feeling her hands undoing the top few buttons of his shirt, her face nuzzling against his neck, peppering his skin in gentle kisses. Shifting his ECHO eye to the elevator, he locked the entryway door coming from it, the other door at the end of his office locking as well, carrying her swiftly to his makeshift bedroom.

"I love you," She whispered in his ear, meeting his lips in a gentle, loving kiss when the door shut behind them, leaving the two of them alone in the medium-sized room - a big difference from Jack's room. 

"I love you," He whispered back, pulling his lips from hers, carefully setting her on the bed, but not before sliding his cybernetic hand under the back of her shirt, lifting it up. Grabbing the hem once she was set down, he pulled it off, his eyes taking in her practically glowing body in front of him, her breasts, slightly bigger than before, and the marks on her neck faded completely, leaving her unmarked, just for him. He chuckled at her undoing his shirt soon after hers was off, her hands grazing along his stomach, caressing his well-taken care of skin slowly, her grey gaze meeting his bi-colored, brown one, the familiar hum of his ECHO eye turning off filling the room. 

Leaning forward, she gave his stomach a gentle kiss, his body shuddering, goosebumps flooding across his skin, a low groan coming from him as his girth throbbed against his pants. "Addy," He groaned out, feeling her lips sink lower against his stomach, her hands undoing his belt buckle painstakingly slow to tease him - and it was working -, his hips pressing against her hands, needing to be free.

"Patience, Love," She purred up to him, quoting the saying he tells her all the time, a low chuckle coming from him at the tables being turned. Sliding her fingers under the waistband of his boxers, she slowly pushed them down, biting her lip playfully as she gazed up at him, her fingers lazily dancing along his hardened length, a hushed groan coming from him at her touch.

He huffed when she moved her hand away from him, growing annoyed at her taunting, releasing out a surprised moan at the feel of her warm mouth taking half of him in suddenly, her tongue working masterfully against the bottom of his shaft. "H-hah, fuck," He moaned out, his left hand moving to her head, brushing her hair out of her way, his hips moving with her head, longing to feel more from her. Without warning, she soon released him from her mouth, a sly smirk on her face as her canines took in her bottom lip, her playful gaze meeting his lustful one, her smirk only growing as he let out an approving noise, watching her pull her black, lacey panties off slowly.

He grinned down at her, watching her move more toward the middle of the bed, her eyes watching his muscles move while he climbed on top of her, his lips capturing hers in a fevered, lustful kiss once again, her legs resting against his sides while her hands moved to his neck, her left hand moving in his hair while her right gripped his back, her body shuddering while a faint moan escaped her, her legs twitching as his cold, cybernetic index finger slid inside of her, stretching her warm, wet hole. That was one thing she enjoyed having just to Rhys - that cold, touch that he knew stimulated her so far -, especially with the way he pumped his finger in and out of her, each thrust in causing her body to shiver, her lips kissing his harder, needing to express her love and lust for him at that moment.

"A-addy, I can't," He breathed to her, stammering a bit, his face red, his true lust creep up her spine. It wasn't unusual for him to be more on edge when it came to this, but she knew her lust wasn't helping his any. There was just something about him that appealed to her each time they had time alone. Maybe it was the gentleness he always used around her or the way he let her do what she wanted - even if he did complain while doing it (assuming it wasn't something dangerous) - without argument. He was dominant in sex, but when it came to other aspects of their relationship? He was fairly submissive. He was understanding, sweet, and kind. Everything she loved.

"It's okay," She purred to him reassuringly, her fingers cupping his cheeks, thumbs trailing against his smooth skin. She shivered when he slid his finger out of her, her eyes staying locked on his, hushed moans coming from both of them as he guided himself inside of her with his left hand, his right hand holding himself up. "H-hah, Rhysie," She panted out, her walls clenching him already. She arched her back when he slammed his entire length of her in one, swift movement, being mindful to not be too rough with her, earning himself a loud moan from her, her hands grasping at his back already. Rhys wasn't into playtime like Jack was - but that was okay with her. The way he kissed her and regarded her, being mindful of her kinks (that she honestly had grown into, aside from anal), making sure to keep her comfortable and pepper her in love made up for it. He had started to try and incorporate some things Jack did with her that he knew she liked, like kissing her roughly, pinning her down, and occasionally gripping her throat, but he never went to the extent Jack did.

After a few moments of enjoying her muscles twitching around his full girth, he gradually began to rock his hips, his lips pressing against the side of her neck, leaving soft kisses on it, before he bit down, giving it a harsh suckle, then another, and another, each one eliciting a louder moan from her. "Mine," He whispered against her jaw, grinning when her body trembled at his smooth voice.

"Yours," She breathed out through her moans, her grey eyes meeting his, both of them sharing a loving gaze with each other. He brought his lips to hers, kissing her roughly, groaning when her inner walls tightened around him, feeling her legs wrap lazily around his waist, pulling him deeper inside of her. Normally, she'd squeeze him more, but given the situation, they both knew it could potentially harm her or her babies. One thing she did have to admit, despite her constant horniness, she did manage to keep a level-headed mind compared to usual. 

Picking up his aggression just slightly, she gripped his back harder, nails digging into his flesh ever so slightly, her moans growing in volume. Moving to rest on his left hand, he slid his cybernetic hand over her swollen left breast, the cold thumb rubbing across her rosy bud, drawing it to attention, a grin on his face when she pressed her chest up and against his touch. "You're so beautiful," He murmured to her, his lips kissing down her throat, leaving smaller love bites along the way, stopping only when he reached her collarbone. She opened her mouth to respond to him, but when he pulled nearly his entire length out to shove it back inside of her, her eyes shut, moaning his name loudly instead, her body growing warm against him, muscles gripping him tighter, signaling the near of her climax.

"H-hah, I l-love you," She whispered out between her moans, her fingers grazing against his marks, leeching from him slowly, the warmth and pulsating from her overpowering him faster than he had wanted, forcing him to ejaculate inside of her, matching her timing as she climaxed with him, both of them moaning the other's name.

"F-fuck, I love you so much," He panted out, stilling his hips before slowly pulling his now-flaccid girth from her, collapsing next to her, embarrassed that he hadn't lasted longer as Jack did, his cybernetic arm covering his eyes. He didn't want to look at her. He felt shameful for lasting so shortly. But she understood. Jack had an entirely different sex drive from Rhys. Either way, she was pleased by both of them, a smile on her lips as she turned to face him, her head moving to rest on his chest, grey eyes gazing up at him lovingly.

"Rhysie," She breathed out, watching him uncover his face slowly to gaze at her. "Stop beating yourself up over it," She whispered to him, her hand moving up his neck, allowing her fingers to flutter across his skin before she cupped his cheek. "You always please me. Always."

"I feel like I don't last long enough to, since Jack-"  
"Stop thinking about Jack," She cut him off, moving to sit on his lap. "You're not him and I don't expect you to be. I love you the way you are. And quite frankly," She paused, her hand now moving across his left arm, leeching more from him, a light purple glow coming from her fingertips. "I like it better the way we do it. I'm not left completely exhausted, so I can enjoy my pleasured high longer before naptime," She said with total honesty, leaning down to kiss him sweetly. Hesitantly, he returned the kiss. Honestly, she didn't mind it either way it went, but she knew he needed to hear that. He also lasted a lot longer when he wasn't stressed out, but she wouldn't bring that up. Last time she did, he only felt worse about it.

Feeling him gradually growing hard beneath her again, she let out a shocked gasp, staring down at him with an arched brow, seeing his smirking face. "I have better downtime than him, though," He purred sensually, his hands gripping her thighs roughly, the two different touches stimulating her all over again.

"Mm... See?" She whispered, slowly beginning to rock her hips against him, a soft moan coming from her as she bit her lip, staring down at him lovingly. 

"I want to be inside, again," He murmured to her. "Please, Baby," He pleaded softly, his hands caressing up her body, hands taking her breasts in each, his thumbs both stimulating her rosy buds.

"B-be gentle," She warned to him, watching him nod his head quickly. Slipping his left hand between them, he positioned his tip against her entrance, both of them releasing hushed moans as she eased herself down on him, taking him in to his hilt. Slowly, she began to move up and down, riding him slowly, enjoying the feel of him sliding in and out of her, faint moans coming from her each time she brought herself down, her chest pressing against his hands, enjoying the feeling of him pawing and grasping at her sensitive breasts, her nipples hardened against his palms. 

Moving his hands down her body, he let out a soft moan of his own, feeling her inner muscles gripping him snugly, his hands grasping her waist, holding her still. Her head tilted back when he began to thrust his hips up, being mindful not to be too rough, but he was certainly rough, his eyes watching her as she leaned back, her hands pushing lightly against his thighs to keep her sitting up straight, each thrust forcing a louder moan from her, her hips moving against his grip, wanting to move with him, but he prevented it by tightening his grip. "H-hah, p-please," She pleaded out breathlessly, longing to move with him.

"N-no," He whispered to her through his pants, his hands releasing her hips only to move to her rear, giving it a firm squeeze, his hips still thrusting against her, but he had definitely slowed down, teasing her with each slow movement. He grinned up at her with she leaned forward, her hips moving against him slowly, matching his movements. "We both know we'd get carried away, Baby," He purred to her, his left hand moving up her body, gripping the back of her hair lightly, eliciting a sudden gasp from her, her lustful eyes hazily gazing into his, before they shut, meeting his lips in a fevered, aggressive kiss. Moving his cool, cybernetic hand up to her back, he wrapped it around her, holding her in place as he began to move his hips again, thrusting wildly into her, enjoying her moans against his lips, feeling her body tremble against him, her muscles clenching him tightly once again. "Cum for me, Adelia," He whispered to her, breaking their kiss just for those four words, her face reddening at them, but her body complied, a loud moan of his name coming from her as she climaxed around him. Holding her flush against him, he slammed his entire girth inside of her, breathlessly moaning out her name as he filled her once again, both of them panting, his hips relaxing moments later. Her body relaxed against him, her face nuzzling in the nook of his neck.

"I love you, Baby," She whispered out.

"I love you," He responded, giving her forehead a gentle kiss.

 _**AN: Smut over** _ _._

Once they took a quick shower, mostly because they were both covered in sweat, she pulled her black hair from the back of his shirt, glancing at herself in the mirror. Normally, she never paid much attention to her reflection, but with her baby bump, she couldn't help but stare at it with a grin. It was definitely noticeable, but for an Eridian, she was much larger with the bump than she should've been. She was thankful that she lost the third one so early - it made her other two stronger when they absorbed it -, and not this late in her pregnancy, where it would've put both her and her other two at high risk. Sliding on her boyshorts underneath the shirt she was wearing, she slowly rubbed her stomach, smiling to herself. She never dreamed she'd be happy about having children before the uprising, or even when she first woke up after her long stasis, yet here she was, happy, pregnant, and head over heels for both of her mates.  
"Whatcha thinkin' about, Baby?" Rhys asked softly, wrapping his arms around her petite frame, his hands sliding under his red Atlas shirt she had taken claim of, softly caressing her stomach with his hands, sending shivers up her spine from the cold touch of his cybernetic one.

"I'm fat," She answered with a giggle, seeing Rhys's face twist into confusion. "I'm kidding. Kind of. I'm bigger than most Eridian women got when they fell pregnant," She explained, resting her hands against his through the shirt, turning her head to smile at him. "But, then again, twins or more were extremely rare. I had only seen it with Alex's mother in my lifetime, and she was about my size, perhaps a bit larger toward the end, though."

"I think you look beautiful," He purred against her ear, smirking when her face turned a vibrant crimson, relaxing his grip on her so she could turn in his arms, her hands resting against his chest.

"I wasn't fishing for a compliment, but I appreciate it either way," She murmured to him with a playful grin, her hands pulling him down by his white shirt lightly, meeting his lips in a soft, loving kiss.

"Mm... As much as I would love a third round with you, Baby, I have a lot of paperwork I need to finish," He whispered, pulling his lips from hers.

"I know, Babe," She mumbled to him, smiling. "I'm getting fairly sleepy myself, so I'll probably just nap while you work on it."

He beamed at her calling him 'Babe', even though she did it quite often, it never failed to make him happy. "Let's go out there, then," He said with a smile, unwrapping himself from her to pull his black vest on, holding his left hand out to her, which she gladly took, following him into the main office, hearing the locks disengage from the doors.

"Well, don't let me bloody stop ya," Lorelei said, walking in when the doors unlocked, watching the two of them with an arched brow, Rhys arching a brow, clearing his throat while she pushed down her shirt a bit more, blushing madly, mirroring Rhys's redness. "Fuckin' wankers," She continued, rolling her eyes, glancing at Zer0, who just had three periods on his mask, having seen the scene in front of him.

"S-sorry," Rhys said, clearing his throat, smoothing his shirt a bit before he stepped out fully with Adelia behind him.

"The news we have/It is not good. Katagawa escaped/Lilith is hunting to no avail," Zer0 said, leaving Rhys and Adelia to pale at his words.

"How?" She asked softly, honestly regretting stopping Jack from killing him this time. Zer0 just shrugged, not sure how to word it. "Well, have you told Jack?"

"He is on the hunt/But I do fear for his safety/Lilith still harbors anger," He responded, leaving Rhys and her to gaze at each other. "He asked you to remain/Where it is safe from the dangers/I will be joining soon."

"Please, keep him safe," She pleaded to Zer0, seeing his face give a smiley face to her.

"I will do my best/Please stay where it is safe now/I will contact soon," He said, making his way to the fast travel station, punching in Pandora's code before dematerializing.

Adelia looked wearily at Rhys, worry washing over her. If it was just Jack and Zer0 looking for him, it'd be a different story, but Lilith never stopped herself from expressing her distaste for Jack.

* * *

_**A few hours later... (4:45 PM)** _

Adelia should've been napping around this time, but instead, she found herself pacing back and forth, her worrying only growing more by the moment. "Maybe we should call him," She said, glancing at Rhys, who was also fairly worried, his fingers drumming against the table. Normally, they'd lay down and nap for an hour around this time, but he was just as worried as she was. He knew, if something happened to Jack, it'd be bad for her.

"I don't think that's a good idea-" He started to say, being cut off by an incoming transmission from Jack's ECHO watch.

Shifting the call to the giant projector in front of them, Rhys accepted the holocall, his eyes shifting to her, watching as she worriedly rubbed her stomach. "Hey there, Kitten and Champ," He said, crouching beneath some cover, gunshots ringing out behind him. "I knew you would be worrying so I just wanted to let you know," He paused when the firing stopped, his head lifting up, his gun firing off, a few sounds of bodies collapsing coming from the Maliwan guys as they were killed effortlessly by his pistol. "That everything is just friggin' peachy. It's not like I have a pissy fuckin' bandit trying to kill me every chance she friggin' gets," He said, turning his wrist slightly to a very pissed off Lilith, who shot him a glare before she Phasewalked, shooting off into the army, before shifting back to him, reloading her guns. "But other than that, just peachy," He repeated, standing up to shoot again, only this time, he got hit by a bullet, a string of curses coming from him as he fell back down below the cover, holding his bleeding shoulder, leaving Adelia staring up at him with her hands covering her mouth, and audible gasp having escaped her.

"Jack, you need to retreat," Rhys said quickly, standing up too fast, his chair falling over behind him. "You know what could-"  
"Rhysie, baby! I'm Handsome Goddamn Jack, I'm _fine,_ " Jack responded, cutting Rhys off, an audible scoff coming from Lilith as the firing began again, this time breaking through their cover, bullets grazing by him, leaving him with a few wounds, but nothing bad like his shoulder. "Shit!" He exclaimed, running for another rock, firing off bullets behind him. "Sorry, Kitten, but I need to go. Don't worry your pretty little head though, I'll come back to you, I promise," He said, hanging up before she could speak.

"Addy-"  
"Rhysie, we have to do something," She said quickly, turning to him, clearly distraught. "He's gonna get himself killed and-"  
"Addy, calm down," He responded, walking around his desk quickly, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "He'll be fine."  
"Rhysie, how can you say that? He's got shot in the shoulder!" She argued, panic coming over her as she shook lightly, tears coming to her eyes. 

"Baby, I know you're upset, but you need to calm down," He answered, moving his hands to cup her cheeks. "Think of the babies," He added on, his thumbs lightly rubbing away her tears, leaving her a sniffling mess. He was right, getting this worked up wasn't going to do anything but potentially hurt her babies. Taking a shaky breath, she calmed herself down reluctantly, her hands moving to cup his. "Now, that's better," He whispered, his thumbs trailing against her cheeks. "Jack will be fine. He's gotten out of worse."  
She nodded her head slowly, worry still present, but she was physically calmed down. She had to be and she knew it.

_**To Jack...** _

Holding his shoulder, he gritted his teeth, Lilith's smug face next to him. "That looks like it hurts," She said sarcastically, covering her head when a few pebbles fell off the rock they were now hiding behind.

"Oh, fuck off," He snarled at her. Out of both of his arms, it just _had_ to be his shooting one. Peeking out over the rock, he groaned at all of the troops reassembling, switching his ECHO watch on, requesting a moonshot where the troops were. He had done it earlier, but with just him and Lilith, they were still significantly outnumbered and the Loader bots didn't stand much of a chance. That's why, this time, he called for WAR Loaders. It didn't help that the coldness of the tundra was making his wounds throb more, the wind chill definitely bothering him, but he couldn't be picky. He found the snake, Katagawa, and this time, he'd kill him. If he could get to him.

"Of all friggin' places, they pick Three Horns," He mumbled under his breath, hearing - and feeling - the moonshot land again, the sound of the WAR Loaders engaging. 

"You're bleeding pretty bad there, Jackass," Lilith said, a smug smirk on her face. She was happy to see him in pain, especially after Adelia saved his ass in the Vault. If it weren't for her, she'd kill him where he sat. Then it dawned on her. There was no reason why she couldn't. Adelia wouldn't know.

He shot her a glare as his ECHO watch rang. "Timtam, this is not a good time," He answered, the holocall staying on his watch, but to Timothy and Alex, the scene unfolded around them. 

"Jack, where are you?" Alex said, cutting Timothy off before he could speak. Jack was clearly injured and, seeing as he wasn't healing quickly, Adelia hadn't initiated the change fully - not like he had done Rhys - and that wasn't good. Not now.

"Don't worry about it, what do you need?" He answered, covering his head with his good arm as a few rocks fell down. His shooting arm was incapacitated at the moment, and he knew, unless he had a good shot, he shouldn't move it. The bullet was lodged deep but hadn't gone completely through his shoulder, and any wrong movements could mean the bullet could shift and injure him more.

"Hang up the call," Lilith said, her pistol pressing against his temple. Jack sucked his teeth. He should've seen this coming. Of course, a bandit would betray the truce the second he was injured. He shouldn't move his arm and he knew it, for risk of injuring it more, but there was no choice. Shifting his eyes to her, he quickly grabbed her shoulder, right as a bullet rang out, hitting one of the clips on his face, but ricocheting off, saving him from a bullet to the head. Twisting her arm behind her, he quickly slammed her head down against the ground, his knee pressing down on her other arm, keeping her pinned down. Sliding his good hand into the pocket of his jacket, the Siren pads he had brought in case of this snapped to his fingers quickly, placing them back on her arms, keeping her pinned down. 

"Typical _fuckin'_ bandit," He whispered, letting out a few "tsk"s.   
"Jack? Jack!" Alex called out, leaving Timothy squinting.

"He's at Three horns Divide," He mumbled out to Alex, worry on his face. There wasn't much Alex got this worked up about, so to see him freaking out like this worried him greatly. 

"I gotta go, Kiddos," Jack said, hanging up the call as a few bullets grazed over them, barely missing. "Oh, Princess, you have fucked up so unbelievably," He whispered to Lilith, his shoulder burning from the searing pain. "I'll enjoy watching her punish you."  
Lilith grunted against him, trying to use her ability, but she couldn't, shocks coming from where his fingers touched her arms.

_**Back to Adelia and Rhys...** _

Adelia had finally passed out against Rhys, sitting in his lap as he drummed his fingers aggressively against the desk, his arm beeping at the incoming call. Shifting it to the projector as he had done with Jack, he answered it, Timothy and Alex appearing on the screen.

"So don't panic," Tim started as Alex quickly dug around for something. "But Jack-"  
"Yes, we know," Rhys said, rubbing his face slowly. "I just got her to calm down."  
"Yeah, but Lilith turned on him."  
"Oh, _fuck_ ," Rhys mumbled out, falling back against the chair even more, blinking slowly. This wasn't going to be good for her when she found out. Nor would it be good for Jack. "We're about to head out to where he is but-"  
"C'mon, let's _go_!" Alex called out, cutting Timothy off. Timothy quickly grabbed some extra ammo off the table, following behind Alex to the nearest fast travel.

"Katagawa escaped, that's why he's there," Rhys answered Timothy's upcoming question. He could tell by the confusion on the doppelganger's face, he had no idea what was going on, especially since they had just gotten back from Eden-6. "From what I saw, he's massively outnumbered. Zer0 left to join, but it could be a while."

"I'll try to keep him safe," He responded, hanging up when Alex impatiently punched in the code for Three Horns Divide.

Rhys stayed quiet, slowly rubbing his face, feeling her stir against him, causing him to tense. "Rhysie?" She mumbled, looking up at him sleepily. "Is everything okay?"  
"Yeah, Baby, everything's fine," He lied, but he couldn't have her freaking out. Not again. 

"I love you," She murmured to him, resting her head against his shoulder again, a pang of guilt washing over him, but he quickly shoved it down. He didn't want her to feel the guilt. 

"I love you, Baby," He whispered to her, his left hand softly caressing her outer thigh.

_**Back to Jack...** _

"So you're not a moron after all," Lilith finally said, grunting when his grip on her wrists tightened more, keeping her pinned down beside him. "Reconfiguring the collar to fit in your fingertips. Smart man."

"Save the flattery, Kiddo," He said with an annoyed tone. "Child killer."  
"She was dead long before we killed her," Lilith spat back, sending Jack's blood boiling. 

"You fucking take that back," He shot back, shoving his gun against her temple.

"You know it's true or you'd pull the trigger without hesitation. You're weak, Jack," She hissed to him, shooting daggers at him. "That woman has made you _weak_."  
"She hasn't," He said through gritted teeth, his finger on the trigger. She knew she was getting under his skin, and if she could have him falter just a bit with his faith in Adelia, she could overpower him and kill him. "Shut your fuckin' mouth, Bandit."

"You're saying that because you know I'm right," She sneered, furthering Jack's anger. "Do it, Jack. Pull the trigger."

He smirked, seeing through Lilith's bullshit. "Oh-ho-ho, trying to turn me against her?" He whispered to her. "You can try all you want, but you won't succeed. What she does to you will be far worse than death."  
"You-"  
She was cut off by the fast travel materializing a Jack copy and another male, a tall one, with black hair and grey eyes similar to Adelia's. In his rush, Alex had forgotten to put his contacts in, but he wasn't worried about that right now, and that was evident by the B-line he made for Jack and Lilith, dodging the few stray bullets that flew at him.   
"Timtam! What a lovely friggin' surprise!" He said with sarcasm, his heterochromatic eyes flickering to Alex, who crouched down to be eye level with Lilith.

" _You_ ," Alex hissed, his hand gripping her by her hair, Jack releasing her. He knew better than to get involved when Adelia was pissed, and he had never seen Alex pissed. And frankly, it was amusing. 

"Who the fuck are you?!" She exclaimed, her head being shoved harshly against the rock.

"Ah-tut-tut, language," Jack corrected, glancing at Timothy.

"Jack, you need to retreat," He whispered to him. He hated to admit it, but his doppelganger was right. He had lost a lot of blood, and his injuries, although most were minor, the one in his shoulder definitely was not. He flashed Timothy a cocky grin. "Jack, don't tell me-"  
  


_**Back to Adelia and Rhys...** _

Adelia had now woken up, the anger from Jack had brought her out of a dead sleep, her worrying setting in again. She could feel Jack's bond faltering. "Rhys, I need to go," She said softly, running her hands over his cheeks. "What's the point in having the babies if I'm just going to lose a mate? You know what that means..." She mumbled the last part. Rhys sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He did know what it meant. It meant she'd die.

"I can't stop you, but I don't think you should," He whispered back.

"I know, but I can feel Jack's not okay. And I know you can, too," She added, slowly caressing his cheekbones with her thumbs.

He stayed quiet, worry on his face. "Don't worry, I have a lot built up. We should be fine," She reassured him softly. It wasn't a lie. Thanks to Alex sharing, she had a lot built up _in case_ this happened. It'd mean she'd be weaker after she depleted her reserves, but this was technically a life or death situation. "I know he isn't fully bonded, but losing him can still kill me."

"Please, be safe," He finally said, his lips kissing her forehead lightly, before kissing her lips deeply and lovingly, her cheeks reddening from the sweet gesture.

"I know, Baby. I'll be careful and safe," She promised to him in a hushed tone, her fingers creeping inside his shirt, grazing against his marks again, leeching a little more from him to top it off, the warmth from her fingers making him close his eyes.

And when he opened them, she was gone.

"Hah, fuck," He mumbled defeatedly, plopping back down in his chair.

_**And back to Jack, Timmo, and Alex...** _

Alex shoved Lilith's head roughly against the rock, "You keep my mom stressed out, then you try to betray her? When she's been so nice to you?" He seethed out, anger coursing through his veins. Jack raised an exhausted brow at the nickname, but he wasn't surprised after Alex called her mom on more than one occasion. In a weird way, she was technically his mother.

"We need to get you out of here," Timothy said worriedly, the feeling of Alex's anger foreign to him, but he had to think. 

"Mother? Who-"  
"Adelia, you fucking bandit," Alex breathed out, his markings showing on his face, unable to contain his anger anymore. "And unlike her, I don't have a problem _killing_ you where you fucking stand," He hissed out, his markings showing brightly against his skin, leaving Jack to stare, entertained. "You have a truce with her, with Jack, and you're gonna throw it away over something that petty? When Pandora's been so peaceful since then?" As he finished speaking, he shoved her head harder against the rock, but for some reason, Lilith's power wasn't working, and she couldn't figure out why.

"Heh... Like mother, like son," Jack said in amusement. He could go on a long rant about everything, but not this time. He was happy this time. Well, not happy that he was practically bleeding out, but happy that he had the chance to meet Adelia. That she loved him and he knew it. His heart pounded in his chest, his eyes snapping open widely as the adrenaline kicked in. He had forgotten about that. If he dies, she dies. 

"Another Siren?!" Lilith snarled out, shoving against the rock with her hands, all four of them stalling at the purple light coming from her as Adelia teleported in, Jack's heart pounding even more. She shouldn't be using her powers. "Fuck," Lilith breathed out as Adelia's grey eyes opened, locking on Lilith's briefly, before they shifted to Jack and Timothy - Timothy was trying to apply pressure to the wound, while Jack just sat propped up against the rock. He was paler than usual, blood covering his features.

"Kitten, you shouldn't be here," Jack rasped out loudly, watching as she walked toward him, the Maliwan troops ceasing fire after a glance from her, Phaselocking them in place. 

"Neither should you," She said softly, glancing at Timothy. "Hold him still."  
"What-" Before he could say anything, she plunged his finger into the bullet hole in his shoulder, choking back a cry of pain, his jaw tensing as he bared through it. Hearing the bullet clank to the ground, he rested his head against the rock. "What about the babies?" He breathed out, Lilith's eyes widening more, now noticing the very protruding bump on her stomach.

"Worry about that later," Adelia answered, glancing at Alex who slammed Lilith's head back against the rock. "Alex."  
"Mom, you need to leave," He spoke angrily, reaching out to touch her. Her babies weren't in distress yet, but how long could she keep that up alone.

" _Mom_?!" Lilith gasped out, confused by everything even further, watching as a purple glow came from Alex's hand, her markings pulsating more vividly as he transferred his energy to her.

"It's fine," She reassured Alex, her hands cupping Jack's face lightly. "I know my limits."

"Honey-" Jack started to protest, wanting to tell her to leave.  
"Not without you," She whispered to him, dismissing his complaints even further. Leaning down, she gave him a gentle kiss on the lips, a warmth washing over him as he started to dematerialize from her power, feeling her Phaseshifting him elsewhere. Once he was gone, she glanced at Lilith, reaching her hand out, grasping the other woman's throat tightly as Alex released her. "Evidently, you didn't learn from our last encounter," She breathed, her fingers glowing a bright purple, leeching Lilith's powers away. "So now, you'll learn the hard way," As she finished speaking, despite Lilith gasping and tearing at her skin, the markings vanished from the other Siren's skin, leaving her just a mere human.

"What did you do?!" Lilith cried out, staring down at her arm, trying to use her powers, but couldn't.

"I told you last time," Adelia said, squatting down so she was eye-level once again. "Do not _fuck_ with me. I will make your life hell. Now, you get to go back to Sanctuary, powerless and defenseless, because let's be honest," She paused, not even blinking as Alex reached out, catching Lilith's fist, slamming her back against the ground. "You're pretty useless without them. The only reason why anyone follows you is that you were a Siren. Once you tried to kill Athena, you betrayed nearly everyone's trust, and now look at you," She continued with a smirk. "You betrayed their trust again. All the food rations, all the weapons, all the _money_ Jack and Rhys provided for you," She paused, snapping her fingers, leaving Timothy sitting there, staring in fear. He could undoubtedly see why Jack liked her now - she was quite sadistic, maybe even more than Alex or Jack himself. "Gone. The city will fall into its old ways. And it's your fault." 

"Alex," She said, glancing over at him, watching him seeth in rage, his hand keeping Lilith pinned down by the head. In his opinion, Lilith deserved much worse, but Adelia probably had this planned out and he knew better than to speak out against it right now. The sooner she left, the sooner he could relax. "Take her power and capture Katagawa again," She continued, her hands wrapping around his, transferring Lilith's Phaseshift over to him, his marks growing in size, now branching up to his forehead a bit and probably even further down his arm. "I'm heading out to tend to Jack. Timothy, thank you," She said, smiling at the doppelganger before she snapped her finger, dematerializing. She would've stayed longer, but she needed to tend to him first and foremost. Plus, the longer she was there, the longer she'd be putting herself and her babies at risk. As soon as she dematerialized, the Maliwan warriors all collapsed, leaving Alex a perfect opening.

_**To Jack and Adelia...** _

Jack grunted as he leaned against his desk in Opportunity, his bloodied hand not helping matters any as he tried to stumble around to his chair, but the blood was making it very slippery. "Ah, fuck," He mumbled, finally collapsing in the yellow chair, his left hand holding his right shoulder. It had stopped bleeding not long after she pulled the bullet out, and honestly, it was more of a dull pain now, after the kiss and Phaseshift. Glancing down at his desk, his lips formed a tight line. This was the second time she saved him like this. Maybe he _was_ weaker than he realized. Maybe-

His thoughts stopped as she materialized in front of his desk, her hands gripping the desk lightly. "You shouldn't have come to save me," He said quickly, attempting to lean forward, but wincing. "The babies-"

"Are fine," She cut him off, placing her hand on her tummy. "I didn't put them at risk. They still have plenty of energy to feed off of, plus, Alex gave me a good bit of his, then I took Lilith's powers," She said Lilith's name with venom behind her tone, anger washing over her before briefly dissolving. She didn't have time to be mad. She needed to tend to Jack. "Either way, I'm _fine_ and they're fine." Jack stayed quiet, staring at her with exhausted eyes. He wanted to argue. Wanted to tell her how stupid she had friggin' been to save him, to put their child at risk, to put _herself_ at risk. But he couldn't. He was too weak to try and argue. "Do you trust me?" She asked softly, walking around to his side, her hands cupping his cheeks gently. Shifting his heterochromatic gaze to hers, he felt his worries fall at the roadside. The worry on her face was far more than he had expected from someone, especially considering someone that could easily betray him. Then he thought back to the other night when he let himself be fully vulnerable with her. The gentleness she used, the caring hands, the way she could've killed him where he sat if she wanted, but that thought never crossed her mind. Even now, if she wanted to end his life, she could do it. There was no promise that she was telling the truth about what happened if an Eridian's mate died. He just blindly believed it. And hoped it was true. Even when Lilith was trying to turn him against her, he still blindly placed her faith in her. He had no doubt she made him stronger, not weaker. He needed to accept that he wasn't a God, no matter how much it seemed like he was. He was outnumbered, easily a hundred to him, and a bandit. The Loader bots helped, but with so many, they didn't stand a chance.

After a few minutes, he opened his mouth. "Yes, Kitten. I trust you," He whispered to her, having mulled through his thoughts. He had no reason _not_ to trust her. Even when he grew violent with her, she still responded with gentleness and understanding. There was no reason for him not to trust her. She came back to him, after all. He was used to the bodies of his loved ones littering the roadside on his way to success, but now? She changed that. She stayed by his side, no matter what, how could he not trust her?

"I'm sorry," She murmured to him, leaving him with an arched brow, doubt starting to wash over him, before he felt her lips pressing against his masked ones, a light glow coming from their kiss for a very brisk second. When her lips pulled away, he felt his marks searing with pain, like he had been marked all over again, his eyes watching as she backed away hesitantly, every wound on him burning violently as they closed up. He felt his strength returning with more time that passed, his tensed jaw relaxing as the pain eventually subsided, not once did he cry out, although, he very much wanted to. 

"What did you-" He started, realizing she could've easily reversed the failsafe, his eyes flickering to his wrist quickly, seeing the mark still very much intact on him. "...Do?" He added on, turning himself toward her, staring at her. Seeing the look of guilt on her face, he clenched his jaw, his hand moving up to the wound on his shoulder, feeling it mostly healed. There was still a hole, but the wound was dry and healing slowly, much like Rhys's burn marks could do if she took too much from him. 

"I'm sorry," She repeated herself, her eyes staying off of his. 

Jack stood up slowly, making his way over to her, his left hand cupping her chin, forcing her to face him. "Look at me, Adelia," He demanded, watching as her grey eyes hesitantly met his. "What did you do?"

"I didn't know what else to do, Jack, I know I should've waited, but-"  
"You're still not telling me what you friggin' did to me," He breathed out lowly, growing annoyed.

"I..." She hesitated, shifting under his grip. "I started your transition into an actual mate," She mumbled sheepishly, breaking her gaze from his. He blinked slowly. Did he hear her right?  
"What-"  
"You know how Rhys can heal quickly? That's one of the perks of the transitioning process," She explained softly. "I'm sorry, Jack, I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to remove the failsafe and risk our bond, and I didn't want to exert myself too far by trying to heal you."  
"Kitten," He mumbled, his jaw tensing again. Even now, she only had his best interests at heart, even if he didn't know what they were. He thought he _was_ a full lover to her. There was so much he didn't know. "You-" He sighed, running his hands through his messy hair. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to process this new information. Or the new emotions he was feeling from Rhys. Wait. _Rhys?_

She chewed on her bottom lip slightly, her eyes watching him. "Alex started Rhys's transition process before when you were busy with the board members so our children would be safe. I wanted to do it at the same time, but he didn't think you were ready, and you were so stressed... I didn't want to push you too far too fast. As I said before, when an Eridian marks someone, they're bound to them. If their marks die, then they do. But..." She paused, her thumb fidgeting over her knuckles. "Their marks can still break the bond with them. When the transitioning starts... They can no longer break the bond, but they gain a lot of power similar to their Eridian mates... For you and Rhys, you have my quick healing and long-lasting life," She mumbled, seeing him pause, turning his head back to her.

"Does that mean I can't die?" He mused with a slightly wicked grin.

"It means it's harder for you to," She answered honestly. "It's not like you're immortal now, you just heal faster, so it takes more for something to kill you. For example," She rubbed her arm nervously. "What Katagawa did to me when he shot my lung and heart and I practically died briefly... That would have killed you. Just, a lot slower, giving you time to get to me or somewhere you would be safe to heal. Not the heart, though. Just the lungs."

He hummed in acknowledgment, his mind already reeling at what he could do with this new-found potential. "Well," He started, the wicked grin still on his face. "Y'know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna go friggin' burn Sanctuary to the ground, watch those bandits burn."

"Jack, no," She said gripping his wrist. 

"I don't recall asking you," He said with coldness, ripping his wrist out of her hand, watching as she visibly flinched, bracing herself to get smacked. She knew it was a possibility his anger would resurface. She closed her eyes tightly, but when nothing fell across her, she opened an eye to peek at him, seeing him standing there still, a frown on his face, his heterochromatic eyes burning into his right hand. He almost slapped her. His mind reeled faster than his body and he stopped himself. Why did he want to hurt her? She was the soon-to-be mother of his child. The one who gave him this power. He _promised_ he wouldn't hurt her. Not again. Yet, seeing her flinch and hold her stomach protectively strangely made his heart drop. She was scared of him. And that angered him. Taking a shaky breath, she stepped closer to him, her dainty hands gripping his right hand, pulling it down, his eyes shifting toward her. 

"Jack?" She asked softly, her voice hopeful that he could overcome his anger. 

He stayed quiet a few more moments, his eyes taking in her worried features. "Y'know what we haven't done in a while?" He finally asked, grinning as her brows furrowed in confusion.

"What?"

"We haven't danced in months," He purred to her, his left arm wrapping around her waist, pulling her flush against him, a grin on his face, feeling the relief washing over her. She smiled up at him, her cheeks dusting a light red.

"What happened to 'burning Sanctuary to the ground'?" She asked softly, her right hand moving to his shoulder, left hand staying in his.

He chuckled, lowering his face close to hers, his breath warm against her lips. "That's an adventure for another day, my queen," He murmured to her lowly. Truth be told, he was still furious, but that look on her face when he declared his intentions left him with a slap on the face. Maybe he was weaker since she came into his life. But this weakness can also be a strength. And the smile on her face as she beamed from his words told him she was proud of him. Lowering his lips on hers, he kissed her roughly, smirking when she slowly slid her left hand up his arm, his hands gripping her waist, holding her close to him while she returned his kiss. 

"I need to call Rhys," She breathed out against his lips, reluctantly pulling her lips from his. "And you need to shower, you smell horrible," She teased with a grin, hearing him chuckle.

"What about Katagawa?" He asked lowly, anger creeping up his spine again.

"Alex was supposed to fetch him and bring him back to Sanctuary," She answered, pausing. "I won't stop you, this time. There's no promise that he won't escape again, especially since Lilith is no longer a Siren."

He hummed in delight, his face twisting into malice. "Oh, I'm going to have fun with that," He mused, already thinking of ways he could torture the traitor. 

"Not today," She said. "I need to rest. I used a lot more than I intended to, and I'd feel more comfortable if you were home with me and Rhys."

His malicious grin fell. He had forgotten so easily about that. Now that she had mentioned something, he could see how exhausted she was on her face. Her skin was colder than usual, which was strange, considering it was summer on Pandora, and the summers were quite ruthless. "We can dance tomorrow," She added with a smile. "On Helios."

"It's a date," He agreed softly, enjoying the feel of her hands moving down his arms, gripping him lightly. 

Calling Rhys a nervous mess was definitely an understatement, and when he saw her tired face flash across the screen, a smile on her face, he felt most of his worries subside. He was worried she had gotten seriously injured, but she just looked tired. "The babies-"  
"Are fine," she answered with a smile, her eyes glancing up at someone over the screen, who he could only assume was Jack. "So is Jack. We're going to head back to the house, though, Rhysie," She added on with a sincere smile. "Please don't be too long."  
He felt all his worries wash away at her words, leaning back against his desk in relief. As much as Jack wore his nerves down, he didn't want anything to happen to him - mostly because it meant bad news for Adelia, but still -, so to know they were all okay definitely eased his mind. "I'll be home soon, Baby," He finally said with a smile, seeing her nod. "I love you."  
"I love you," She said back, giving a tiny wave that he returned, before hanging up the call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone's enjoyed it so far!  
> I will be writing a story about Alex and Timothy - how they met, etc, centered around Alex's childhood up to meeting him, and the events that transpired in this story.  
> I probably will not have a definitive end in this story because it honestly really started out for a vent thing, something to take my mind off of things, and it's only spiraled. I'm enjoying writing it a lot, even if there are a lot of time skips here and there. The little scenes and stories


	30. Chapter 30

The next few months came and went. Alex was less than thrilled at her sudden exhausted appearance and greatly mimicked Jack after the realization had settled in, chastising her like she was an infant, but after getting it out of his system, he was relieved to know she was okay. That her babies were okay. And, since she had given him Lilith's Phaseshift ability, he was more than willing to visit her on Helios or Promethea - he knew he'd have to give the power back eventually, but for now, he was enjoying it. And she apparently was, too. The way she leeched off of him was much needier than before, but given how much power she had used, he couldn't say he was surprised - if anything, he was surprised she hadn't lost her babies. Much to Alex's additional surprise, she seemed to be having a fairly healthy pregnancy, despite that harsh stress factor on her body. 

Rhys, of course, wasn't thrilled, but he knew Adelia wasn't going to be stopped, and honestly, he wasn't going to give her a fourth chewing out - since Timothy joined in with Alex -, but rather, just stayed quiet about it, changing the subject any time it came up. He knew Jack would eventually begin the transitioning process with him, and that was fine. What wasn't fine was the way he reacted. That anger he felt toward her. That pissed Rhys off. And Jack knew it. However, for the sake of her, they didn't argue. Jack hadn't actually hurt her, so there was no need for them to argue in her eyes - after all, he had stopped himself, even if she was scared he'd do it at first. The worst thing, though? Adelia was struggling to cope with the truth Jack had laid out on her about her mother. She knew it was true, but she was having a hard time accepting it. Along with that, Jack was beginning to struggle with newfound emotions from the betrayals he encountered before her as it all finally began to set in. He wasn't necessarily handling it badly, but it was more than once that she woke up to him clinging to her as if his life depended on her. Even in meetings, a look would wash over his features and she could feel the pain creeping up into his mind and she often had to declare the meeting over for them since he'd be at a loss for words.

However, there was Doctor Samuel. He was more than ecstatic, probably more excited for her to deliver the babies than any of the others. He asked a lot of questions about the pregnancy, but after being warned by Jack to keep her guard up for now (lest Samuel try to force labor earlier than she was ready), and only let little bits and pieces out. She refused the ultrasounds multiple times, saying she wanted the genders to be a surprise for them and that she knew her babies were healthy. He had suggested she take experimental vitamins, but Jack often refused for her to take them, tossing them into the toilet or down the kitchen sink, leaving her confused, but, he knew the doctor better than she did and she wouldn't question his reasonings.

Now that summer was gone and winter was nearing, her stomach had grown a considerable amount, but nothing major. She just looked like an early, human pregnancy - not a huge bump, but it wasn't tiny either -, and she knew a large reason for why the bump was so big was because it was twins. Her visits to Pandora and Promethea grew less and less, both the men, plus her "son" - who she gladly took on as considering him a son, given their history together... And he was already calling her mom. A lot. - having grown restless after what happened with Katagawa. She was out of the woods in regards to having a stable pregnancy, but now, the hard part began as she neared her third, and final, trimester. Over the course of her second one, her tiredness had only grown. This, of course, meant that Jack and Rhys very rarely allowed her out of their sights, mostly because she fell asleep cutting some vegetables once and collapsed, but luckily, Jack was there to catch her before she could hurt herself.

Jack had grown used to her passing out quite frequently, but Rhys was still adjusting - they had ultimately decided that, unless Adelia specifically requested to be with Rhys when she awoke in the mornings, she'd stay with Jack, where he could bring her home if necessary. Although hesitant, Rhys agreed, mostly because he didn't want her trying to go out with him on visits to the outer city and pass out on him. He was used to carrying her around, but to carry her back into the city? That'd be a bit much for him. The plans for Katagawa were placed on the back burner, as the day after the incident left her weak, as expected. Along with her exhaustion growing into more of a problem, spur of the moment sex had practically become nonexistent, but Jack took it better than Rhys did. In the mornings and at night were the only times they could manage to get her to stay awake long enough to do anything, and usually, Jack never pushed to do anything unless she was in the mood - mostly because he remembered how his first wife had been when she was pregnant with Angel: irritable, sleepy, just overall not in the mood; and, after getting his head bit off more than once then, he had learned quickly not to push any further. It also didn't help that he lost his control over his urges the last time they had it, not even a week after that night she saved him. However, despite the lack of sex, she was oddly clingy to the two of them. Whoever spent the day with her could very rarely move away from her - usually Jack. When Rhys would arrive back home, she'd cling to him, which would relieve Jack, but only slightly. He could cook dinner and clean up without worrying about her putting herself in harm's way, especially with her passing out at the most random of times.

Because they had both started the transitioning process (and Jack was now nearing the full completion of it - Rhys had finished it months prior), she could leech from them without having to be at her peak. She could just touch any part of them and leech. This, of course, made things a lot easier, especially for them, considering both of their marks were in less than convenient places. It especially helped when they were on Helios and it was time for her to leech. Blake was being the nosy secretary as always, pushing both Jack and her to complete annoyance. He definitely didn't keep his mouth shut about her pregnancy and the whole hub had known within a week after he saw the bump on her stomach, everyone trying to flock to see her when they'd head down for lunch, rumors going around that had both of them less than pleased, but that was easily fixed when someone tried to overstep and got launched out an airlock without hesitation.

However, despite the rumors, the few other pregnant workers that worked in customer service were more than willing to take Adelia under their wing (although it was quite forceful) and talk all about their pregnancies, leaving her with a general sense of confusion about everything. Mostly because she barely knew these women and they had taken her under their wings like an injured bird when she was fine the way she was - she just wanted to sleep. A lot. But overall, she just felt like they wanted the dirt on her sex life with Jack, seeing as it came up quite a bit, but then again, they could've just been curious - he was easily the most powerful man in the universe, the richest man, and probably the most handsome. Jack wanted to put an end to it a few hours after it happened, when he walked in to see her fast asleep on one of their laps and the other women were going about their conversation like nothing happened. He knew the other women would've protected her since she did seem to like them and they seemed to like her, but for her to be away from him like that worried him. A lot. He turned his back for literally a split second and they swarmed her and took her away, leaving him a worried mess. He'd have their head for that in normal situations, but Adelia constantly reassured him it was fine, that they had no malicious intent, and were just happy to get to know her since she barely left his office in the nearly four years her existence was known. They had seen her a few times in the hub with Rhys, but they were always intimidated by her, especially with her being in a wheelchair for the better portion of the first months, then to see her recorded dance with Jack at the gala only intimidated them further, however, seeing that she was just a normal woman (at least to them) had given them the courage to talk to her and try to be friends with her. All of these women were easily in their thirties - definitely a good ten years older than her and more around Jack's age. But she didn't mind, all the younger women around her age constantly tried to start issues and sleep with Jack (who wouldn't have it and promptly would fire them after she vocalized her annoyance). They were the ones who started rumors about her, and she knew it. She could feel the daggers in her back every time she waddled in with Jack to get lunch.

_**Now... October 30th, Helios (12:30 PM)** _

"So what wild rumor is going on about me today?" Adelia asked, drumming her fingers against Blake's desk to get the secretary's attention, waiting on Jack to finish up his conference call.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Miss Adelia," He stammered out, his cheeks flushing, eyes watching as she rubbed her stomach slowly.

"Y'know," She started, "You're lucky I like you. Jack wanted your head," She teased, grinning when he paled. "You're amusing to watch be a goofball, though the rumor spreading? That could've been something that didn't happen."  
"With all due respect, I didn't spread any rumors, I just said I thought you were pregnant," He hastily explained, holding his hands up in defense.

She hummed in amusement, grinning down at him, "I'm not Jack, Blake. I'm not going to pull out a gun and kill you just because you upset me." 

Opening his mouth to say something, he promptly shut it when Jack came out of his office, running his hands through his hair, fixing it. "Hey there, Honey," He purred to her, giving her a quick, but passionate kiss on the lips, leaving Blake blushing madly at the display. "I have to run to Pandora to finalize some stuff for Rhysie, so I'm gonna have to miss our lunch date," He said with a huff, his right hand tucking some stray hair out of her face. Much to his delight, she had grown it out to her shoulders, but she did keep it well-groomed. All of the natural curls she had were in cute little ringlets around her slender face.

"That's okay," She responded with a smile. "Go handle your business, I can handle lunch myself," She reassured him, cupping his hand with hers. She knew he didn't want her going to Pandora with him, and rightfully so. They still hadn't solved the Katagawa problem and Maliwan was growing restless to get him back. She had a vision of Maliwan combining forces with a bunch of bandits and putting all three of them - her, Jack, and Rhys - in massive danger, and ever since, he and Rhys have been extremely wary of her going down.

He grinned down at her, giving her another passionate, but rough kiss. "I'll be back by the time you're done eating, I'm sure, Kitten," He whispered to her, Blake in the background covering his face, trying not to watch the display out of respect for the two of them.

"Be safe," She responded after she gladly returned his kiss, hearing familiar footsteps coming down the corridor.

"Oh yeah, that's right," He said, snapping his fingers with a grin. "I called Alex so you don't friggin' pass out in the hall this time."  
"One time. It was one time," She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, referring to the time she passed out. She did ask for Jack to have Alex escort her after that last time the younger women swarmed her and harassed her to the point she couldn't leave - she was far outnumbered, and showing that she was a Siren wouldn't have been a good idea.

"One time is enough," Alex and Jack both said, sharing the same grin. Honestly, if she hadn't delivered Alex herself, it'd be dangerously hard to tell that they weren't father and son with their cockiness and attitudes, especially since he bonded with Timothy fully. The only main thing that gave them away? Alex was a good five inches taller than Jack. And, unlike Jack, he had black hair matching Adelia's. And "brown" eyes that he kept concealed with his contacts (though, he had them out today) - he looked nothing like Jack, but personality-wise? They were nearly exactly the same. Both were hotheads, and unlike Adelia, Alex wasn't afraid to kill someone if they pissed him off.

"You're lucky Chad here was passing through and called me. Who knows what would've friggin' happened," Jack said with a shrug, Blake turning his head to shoot a glare. He purposely messed up his name to taunt him for his own amusement, but Blake knew better than to talk back. "Well, I'm off, Pumpkin. I'll be back soon," Jack continued moments later, checking his ECHO watch with a grin. 

"Be safe," She said with a sigh, a grin on her face. His teasing was always a lot, but she loved it about him. "Well," She turned, looking at Blake. "I'm going to lunch. Feel free to head out for some, too," She said with a smile, watching as Blake visibly relaxed, before watching with an arched brow, seeing her getting practically drug off by the taller man. Over the last few months, he did get to speak with her quite often, and he could honestly see why Rhys and Jack liked her so much. She was very polite but also had a mouth on her. Honestly, she was quite fiery, but the way she'd light up when she spoke about Jack and Rhys really did show how she felt for them, and honestly? It made him a little jealous to see all that intimacy. It was hard to find these days, especially around Helios where the majority of women were only after Jack's wealth. The Anshin representative, though, did make him mildly curious. He had started coming around nearly weekly, despite not having a meeting, and she always seemed to light up around him. He was morbidly curious who he was to her. Surely, she was too young to have a son that age?

Walking down the hall, Adelia sneezed, leaving Alex to arch a brow. "Bless you," He said with a grin, leading her toward the hub's cafeteria. 

"Thank you," She responded, sniffling a bit. "How's that saying go? Somebody's thinking about you if you randomly sneeze or something?"  
"Something like that," He answered with a chuckle, feeling all the women passing by the two of them to stop and stare. He had been to the hub before, but never with her walking along the side of him. He could see how uncomfortable it was making her, which oddly made him curious. Before, she used to love being the center of attention, especially when it came to dancing in the square. "Something wrong, Mom?" He asked softly, stopping.

"I just don't like a lot of attention," She said, rubbing her bump a bit, humming in happiness at all the kicks she was getting. They were growing more active as the days passed, which was good. It meant they were healthy. 

"You used to love attention, though," He mused, both of them starting to walk again.

"That was before the elders did what they did," She mumbled quietly, her hand stilling on her stomach. He fell silent, both of them walking in the uncomfortable silence. She was still coming to terms with what they did to her then, and he hadn't even realized he opened old wounds. "Jack and Rhys are helping me move past it though," She added on after a few minutes, a small smile on her face. Honestly, at first, it was weird to hear him call her mom, but after a few months of hearing it, she didn't mind it at all. In a way, she really was his mom, given how she would take care of him when he was a child, and even now, she always made sure to take care of him and he returned the favor. She would technically be older than him, as well, if she hadn't undergone stasis longer than he had. She was very open about him being "like a son" to him to her mother's group and they would always gush at how they could hardly tell the difference between them based on a photo she had shown them. However, that's to be expected, consider his mother was her mother's identical twin sister, minus the powers and whatnot. She was disowned not long before her mother's death, though, so Adelia never addressed her as family. She hummed softly, glancing up at Alex. "You sure do like calling me mom a lot," She teased.

"Well, you're practically my mom," He mumbled with a red face, his cheeks puffing up slightly in a pout. It wasn't a lie and they both knew it. Seeing as it had been nearly a full year since she woke back up, she remembered and realized a lot of stuff about her family now that she was readying for one of her own. Twins ran in the family, so she wasn't surprised by her having twins, after all, according to her father, her mother was pregnant with twins but lost one, but that had completely slipped her mind when she realized she was pregnant with three. She also had briefly forgotten her actual relation to Alex for a solid minute until he reminded her, mocking his mother's hatred for her and her mother. She also had remembered constantly taking care of him when he was just a toddler since he was always drawn to her, probably because she'd actually give him attention while his mother and father would just disregard him completely - at least until he was old enough to be his twin sister's butler. There were many nights when he'd run away to sleep at her house, and he remembered them vividly while her memories were dodgy at best, but he couldn't blame her. When he had first woken up, his memories were everywhere, too. It took him a long time to realize who he was and what had happened, especially as a kid, and thanks to Captian Scarlet - who did take him in maybe a week after he woke up -, he knew how to fend for himself from a young age onward. Between Adelia and her, he had pretty okay mothers. Until Scarlet tried to betray him when she found out he was actually a Siren and wanted to use him for her personal gain.

He frowned. "What's on your mind?" She asked, breaking him from his thoughts.

"I was just thinking about the woman who took me in while you were in stasis," He answered, the few young girls who constantly started stuff with Adelia already gossiping as she walked in with yet another good looking man. "She was a lot like you, just more... murder-y," He laughed a bit, rubbing the back of his head. "But, she flipped when she realized I was a Siren. The way she treated me was no longer a thing," He mumbled, shooting a glare to a few of the younger women glowering at her. "At least I got a few good years out of it."

"I'm sorry, Alex," She mumbled, frowning a bit. He had a hard enough life without that having to happen. She gripped her stomach lightly, letting out a slight groan at the powerful kick.

"Are you alright?" He asked, stopping when she gripped his arm tightly.

"Y-yeah," She breathed out, the pair of mothers having spotted her now quickly swarming over to them. There were only four of them in the group total, but it was still nice for her to have friends, even though they all worked different days. She never knew who would be in on what day. "Just a hard kick, that's all," She finally said out with a breath, releasing her tight grip on him, his glare nearly scaring the approaching women. "It's okay," She reassured him, patting his arm. "They're friendly."  
"Oh my stars, is this the son you were telling us about?" One of the women around her height gushed, looking up at Alex, who just stared with an arched brow.

"We already got you lunch, baby, come on," The other and oldest of the two women said with a sweet smile, practically pulling her away from Alex, who just trailed behind quietly. 

"Yes, that's him," She answered to the woman her height, taking a seat after Alex pulled her chair out for her.

"And such a gentleman!" She gushed even more, taking her seat in her already pulled out chair she briefly abandoned. Alex stayed quiet, blushing at the compliments. From what he could see, the two women were pregnant as well, but they weren't as far as she was, despite being larger than her.

"I knew you said he was good looking, but goodness," The other woman finally said with a grin. "He gives Handsome Jack a run for his money," She teased with a wink, leaving Alex blushing furiously at the compliments.

"Hah... Thank you?" He stated in more of a question, laughing awkwardly.

"Don't let him hear you say that, he'll be angry," The shorter woman said with a giggle. Adelia let out a giggle of her own, eating on her vegetable soup quietly. She was more hungry than anything. "But goodness, Miss Adelia! He looks like the striking resemblance of you! He's just tanner," She mused, glancing over at him, giving him a look over. "I could easily mistake him for you and Jack's son," She added on, making Adelia choke a bit.

"Goodness, Gwen! Let the woman eat before you try to give her a heart attack," The older woman said, patting Adelia's back lightly while Alex just beamed a bright crimson, an amused grin on his face. 

"What?!" She said in defense, shoveling her own bite of salad into her mouth. "It's the truth, Eliza, and you know it," She teased with a grin.

"Can you guys stop?" Adelia said with a furious blush, shooting a playful glare at Gwen. 

"Well, sweetie, it is true," Eliza piped up with a grin, taking a bite of her sandwich once Adelia started to eat her soup again. "He does look like you with a hint of Jack, especially with that cocky grin on his face. Uncanny," She teased, leaving Adelia rolling her eyes with a grin.

"So, uh," Alex said, clearing his throat, both of the new women glancing at him curiously. "How did you three meet?"

"Oh, well that's just a downright hilarious story!" Gwen said.

"They kidnapped me," Adelia answered bluntly, but playfully, finishing off her soup, wiping her mouth with her napkin.

"Oh, so dramatic," Eliza responded with a grin. "We ran into her before when she was in a wheelchair with Rhys, but we never spoke to her much since she looked downright ready to murder someone. She vanished after a while though, only appearing sometimes."

"Mister Jack kept bringing her in here from time to time, but sometimes, it was Mister Rhys," Gwen picked up where Eliza left off, leaving Alex with a satisfied grin on his face. It was nice to see her around a pair of women so positive. "When Rhys had left her unoccupied briefly, we approached her and started small talk. She was quite the shy one," She beamed at Adelia, furthering her embarrassment. 

"We tried to talk to her all the time when Rhys brought her in!" Eliza continued. "But she always would just laugh awkwardly and mumble. But then, one day, she stopped coming in for about a week. We were worried since Handsome Jack had started looking for a new secretary."

"And he kept burning through them like nothing," Gwen added on worriedly. "We were worried he had killed Miss Adelia the same way he was disposing of these ladies. And our curiosity got the best of us after she didn't make an appearance for two whole years after the Gala!" She exclaimed, holding her hand over her heart. "We were scared she had been caught in the crossfire that night."  
"So imagine our surprise when she shows up after two years, skinnier than a skeleton!" Eliza gushed, leaving Adelia to hide her face in her hands, groaning at their descriptions. "And then she disappeared again!"  
"And that was when Blake had let the younger girls know she was back full-time, just busy with Mister Jack and Mister Rhys," Gwen said in relief. "But then, a few months passed and she'd come in from time to time, but she was always busy with other stuff on her ECHO and stuff, balancing things while talking to Mister Jack or Mister Rhys. They'd get their lunches and leave."  
"Then, imagine our surprise when she came in a few months ago with a pregnancy glow! And the tiny bump!" Eliza said with enthusiasm. "She was rubbing her stomach absentmindedly and we just knew she was pregnant! And the way Jack would stare at her when she did it, oh, it was so cute!" She paused with a grin. "Well, one day, Jack turned his back on her to deal with one of the bitches starting shit. It was very fun to watch her get tossed out an airlock," She mused with a grin.

"She was making life so difficult for our Adelia!" Gwen added on with a nod. "Even went to the extent of elbowing her stomach to shove her down, _in front of_ Mister Jack! And he was having none of it," Alex arched a brow at the conveniently left out information, glancing at Adelia. That'd explain why she was upset a few weeks ago. Something like that could've easily forced her into early labor. "Us and Marie and Lisa all cheered when she was launched out into space!" He blinked. They were more morbid than he thought, but she seemed to enjoy their company, so he wouldn't complain. Plus... He's done some pretty morbid things in his life, so he wasn't one to judge. "And since she was on the floor, we picked her up and carried her off to tend to her. She was a balling mess, holding her stomach. We thought she was losing her babies!" She said worriedly. "Turns out, she was fine! Thankfully. But after we had her calmed down and had her focus on her breathing despite her pains, she fell asleep with her head in Eliza's lap."  
"And Jack was less than pleased," Eliza finally spoke up again. "The man was a hot mess. He was literally so upset when he couldn't find her. The relief that washed over that man's face when he saw her," She said, shaking her head with a grin. "Pure love, I'll tell ya that much. Though, he was ready for blood until she woke up and told him it was okay. I gotta say, it's a miracle Miss Adelia can calm him. Before, he was so rash and irrational. But now? He's a whole new person. Unless it comes to her," She beamed at Adelia, who just blushed more, glancing up at Alex. She knew she was going to get lectured about not telling him about the elbow to the stomach just by the look on his face.

"Sounds like you get along with her well, then," He said with a smile. He was furious, but at least Jack had handled it. "I'm glad Mom made some friends," He teased, chuckling at her glare.

"Oh my! And he even calls you mom!" Gwen gushed with a grin.

"Does he call Jack 'Dad'?" Eliza mused, getting a groan in response.

"No, he doesn't," Adelia answer with a playful smile. 

"Such a shame," She chastised with Gwen nodding quickly in agreeance. "But, then again, he does look more like you. Honestly, I still can't believe he _isn't_ your son! I mean, you're so young, so I can understand how he isn't, but goodness. Like looking in a mirror," She paused, grinning. "A sexy ass mirror," She winked, laughing when he rolled his eyes.

"Well, thank you, Miss Eliza," He said with a grin, giving her a wink, chuckling when she held her hand over her heart.

"Such a charmer!" She exclaimed, both her and Gwen giggling, leaving Adelia in a relatively good mood, but she was getting sleepy. It was nearing her usual nap time, and Alex could tell. 

Adelia hummed, slowly standing up. "I thank you both for lunch today. Just send whatever I owe up to Blake," She stated with a smile.

"Of course, baby!" Gwen said with a grin, standing up with Eliza. Both of them were mostly finished when Adelia had come in. "You let us know if you need anything. Marie and Lisa are on vacation, so you're stuck with us for a while!"  
"Oh, are they having their babies?" Adelia asked with a grin, leaving Alex standing there with an arched brow.

"I know Marie went into labor a few days ago," Eliza said, rubbing her large stomach. "I think Lisa is nearing hers too. It was nice of Jack to let them off early."

"I may have played a part in that," She responded with a smile, her own hand resting on her baby bump.

"I'm so jealous, you're so far ahead of us, but you're so much tinier than we'll be!" Gwen exclaimed in a huff. 

"Oh, Gwennie, don't be so dramatic," Eliza chastised, glancing up at Alex, watching him check his ECHO band. "She has good genes, after all."  
Adelia just laughed a bit, returning the sudden hug from Eliza, giving Gwen a tight one in return soon after. "I'll see you two tomorrow," She said with a smile, giving a small wave, walking alongside Alex, humming quietly to herself, her fingers caressing her clothed bump slowly.

"Why didn't you tell me someone elbowed your stomach?" Alex finally asked quietly, glancing down at her.

"I didn't think I needed to."  
"Adelia, you know you don't have a large womb to protect the babies like humans," He chastised, using her real name instead of 'mom' this time.

"But they're fine," She answered, shifting her gaze up to him as they made their way to the elevator. "Jack handled it, anyways."  
"Well, I mean, yeah, but-"  
"No buts," She cut him off, calling the elevator down. "It was handled then and it's still handled now. Everything is fine, aside from a few aggressive kicks here and there, but that's to be expected."

He sighed when the elevator dinged, both of them stepping into it. "I just worry," He mumbled.

"I know, Sweetie, but I'm here and I'm not going anywhere," She reassured with a smile, seeing his face relax a bit. Much like he had taken to 'Mom' for her, she had taken to 'Sweetie' for him. "I'm already to full term, either way, and from the way they're absorbing from me, they're fairly strong on their own now, too." He stayed quiet, glancing down at her stomach. He knew she wasn't lying. She had grown weaker for a while after the incident with Jack and Lilith, but, since she took Lilith's powers away, her babies seemed to be a lot stronger. He could feel her need to leech growing worse every time they met, but, that also meant her babies were strong - stronger than he had anticipated, but then again, could he ever expect less from her? She did save him time and time again. And honestly? She was his mom, as far as he was concerned. She clothed him, fed him, healed him, played with him, taught him, hell, she was even teaching him how to cook lately. He knew, if something bothered him, he could go to her and she'd always be there to help him.

"Hey, Mom," He murmured, rubbing the back of his head, looking away from her grey gaze.

"Yeah?" 

"I'm sorry about what my actual mom did to you," He mumbled, scratching the back of his head. "Y'know... the betrayal with Yasmine."

"It wasn't your fault," She mumbled, her mood falling at the mention of her old best friend. "I know you sneaked in a lot to check on me, I remember that much," She said with a slight smile, but it held sadness. "Even if I was blind for the mass majority of it. I knew it was you bringing me bites of food."

"It wasn't enough to keep you healing fast, though," He added on.

"I'm glad it wasn't," She admitted. "The sooner they drained me, the sooner they let me go."  
"But, your scar-"  
"Was from when I descended into the Vault and fought her. It wasn't from the elders." He frowned, that wasn't how he remembered it, but then again, Yasmine was the one who took part in a lot of her beatings, and honestly, Adelia's memory could easily get mixed up and he knew it. "When I was in the Vault hiding Vault Keys to find the perfect suitor for me to rise again with, I was weak from making them and sending them out across the universe. She grabbed me and started to leech, but I countered and she hit me with a handful of magma instead. My follicles healed, but my skin couldn't recover before I fell into the stasis. I wasn't made to kill people, and I killed her," She mumbled the last part. "I was just so angry. I couldn't stop myself. I know her daughter was probably out there somewhere, blaming herself for the death of our race, and that infuriates me even more that she used Nyriad as a pawn to disturb the Destroyer and in the uprising, saying she had to do it."

"Mom, it's not your fault," He comforted her, pulling her into a tight embrace against his chest.

"You smell like straight sex," She joked, both of them laughing a bit.

"I may have indulged in Tim before I left."  
"I can smell it," She teased, giving him a tight hug in return as the elevator doors opened, revealing Blake balancing a spoon on his nose, most likely from his lunch. Seeing Alex and Adelia in a tight hug though, that confused him, the spoon clattering to the floor. "How are you and Tim, anyways?" She asked, walking toward Jack's office, stopping to squat to pick up his spoon, handing it to Blake, who took it hesitantly. 

"We're fine. He's adjusting," Alex responded, glancing at Blake's stunned face with an arched brow. "Sex is definitely off the walls amazing, though," He added on, smirking when Blake's face heated up a bright crimson.

"I really don't want to hear about your sex life with him," She said, scrunching up her face.

"You asked, mom," He teased.

"Wait, mom?" Blake asked, entertained by this. Every time he's seen her interact with someone, she always responded so curiously. 

"Oh, yeah," She said with a sincere smile, holding her hand out to Alex. "He's decided I'm pretty much his mother, and I don't mind him calling me that."  
"Oh, phew, I thought you were like, old."  
Alex's eye twitched at the passive insult, leaving Adelia giggling. "No, I'm only twenty-three," She said with a smile, Blake's eyes widening more. No wonder she had such a banging body, she was near the same age as him. 

"Twenty-four, actually," He corrected her. "Your birthday was last month, remember?"  
"Oh yeah, I guess it was," She mused, glancing down at Blake again. "Stop ogling me like that or Jack will kill you, and I actually enjoy your reactions to our conversations," She whispered to him, Alex shooting a threatening glare of his own. "Don't forget, Jack is always watching," She warned, pointing up to the camera above his desk, that he hesitantly glanced up at.

"O-of course, Lady Adelia," He stammered out quickly.

"If Jack comes back soon, tell him he knows where to find me," She said, glancing at Alex, who just nodded before she could ask her question.

"But u-um, what about the meetings?" Blake murmured out, blushing furiously at her arched brow, her grey eyes seemingly burning through his soul.

"Cancel them. Jack would've anyway," She said with a shrug. 

"B-but-"  
"Blake," She cut him off with a smile. "Stop worrying. If they try anything, just call me and I'll come back to deal with it." He slumped back in his seat a bit, his eyes glancing over at Alex's glowering stare. Alex knew she was going to be asleep soon. "Besides, it's just weekly progress reports, it's not a big deal," She added on with a shrug, walking over to the fast travel station. He slowly nodded his head, watching as Alex and Adelia both dematerialized in front of him, leaving him busy to work on canceling the meetings.

After another hour, Jack materialized in the office, staring at a Blake who was sitting there, head in his hands, groaning loudly. "Tough day, Kiddo?" He mused with a cocky smirk, leaning across the desk.

"Lady Adelia told me to cancel all the meetings and I spent the better half of the day getting screamed at," Blake mumbled back, picking his head up to see Jack a bit too close to comfort, causing him to jump back a bit.

"Yeah, that sucks, but y'know what, Kiddo?" He asked, leaning closer to him again. "You ogle my woman again and you'll lose your fucking eyes, m'kay?."

"Y-yes, sir," Blake said quickly, nodding his head, realizing she wasn't kidding when she said Jack was _always_ watching. 

"Glad we could come to an agreement, Champ. Would hate to lose another one because they couldn't act right," He spoke in a threatening manner, fixing his hair as he stood back up.

"S-she uh..." He paused, there was something bothering him. "Why does uh... the CEO of Anshin call her his mother?"

Jack arched a brow, chuckling a bit. "Y'know, I don't think ya get paid enough to ask those questions."  
"Y-yes, sir," He mumbled defeatedly, slumping in his chair. 

"Go home, Cupcake," Jack said, waving his hand, walking back over to the fast travel, punching in the code to his house, dematerializing.

* * *

_**At Jacks... (starting 1 hour before he arrived at Helios)** _

As Alex and Adelia materialized, she slumped over against him, her sleepiness winning against her as she groaned. "Can you walk?" He asked softly, standing her back up. He knew how exhausting pregnancies could be on women who were a bit on the younger side since he helped deliver babies with her quite frequently.

"Yeah, I'm fine," She mumbled sleepily, making her way to the door, opening her eye for the retina scanner, hearing the locks disengage once it scanned her eye. She was nearly passing out as she opened the door, stumbling forward a bit as she tried to take off her shoes, but only catching herself when he gripped her arm tightly, preventing her from hitting the floor.

He sighed loudly, scooping her up in his arms like a baby, feeling her body fall limp against his, her breath slow and shallow against him as her head rested against his shoulder. "Fine my ass," He mumbled, carrying her off to her bedroom, having done this far too many times already with Jack frequently running off to deal with Atlas-Hyperion stuff. Luckily, though, she had leeched off of him yesterday, so today, she'd just sleep until she got her energy back. Shifting her weight onto him, he leaned back a bit, pulling the covers down, before laying her down under them, covering her up. He honestly couldn't deny that he had seen this coming - he did. She always told him if she "ever finally decided to have children, she knew she'd be safe with him watching over her" when she was training him - mostly because he was diligent with information about it. He worked his hardest to be useful to her and, luckily, since he had been awake for nearly eighteen years now, all of those memories had returned, though, he knew hers were spotty at best and some may never return, but she seemed satisfied with her life now, so he wouldn't force it on her.

Cautiously, he walked over to the bedroom door, leaving a crack in it so he could hear her if she started to stir, before making his way to the living room, plopping down on the couch. Jack would probably be another hour or so, so he did what he always did when he wanted to waste time - he called Timothy with a smirk on his face.

After a while, he heard the door unlocking, "Gotta go, Baby. I'll be back there soon," He said with a smile, Timothy's brightly reddened face nodding quickly as they hung up, Jack coming in right as the holocall disappeared. "You really should be bringing her with you when you go. I can't keep leaving Anshin like this to babysit her."  
"Yeah, yeah," Jack said, rolling his eyes, bending down to untie his shoes, before kicking them off. "You know damn well you don't actually mind it," He added on, undoing his vest clips.

Alex broke out in a grin as he stood up. "Fair point, but you should stay with her as much as possible," He chastised, adjusting his white suit. "But one thing has bothered me the last few times I've been here." Jack stopped, glancing at him with an arched brow. "How long has she been having these nightmares?"

He sighed loudly, running his hand through his hair, before unclipping his mask. "It's been like this for a while. She had them when she lived with Rhys alone. They've only just gotten worse after the Maliwan scum got his hands on her. She just has better days sometimes," He answered, glancing down at the firm mask in his hands. Alex frowned, rubbing his face.   
"So about a year then?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, somethin' like that," Jack responded with a slight nod. He was slightly lying. Another big nightmare she had was her losing the babies, and she vocalized it more than once to him and Rhys, especially since that bitch shoved her down - and the time he was a little too rough and made her bleed, but she kept that detail from Rhys, as did he -, but if Alex knew, he'd get all worked up all over again and they'd have another fight - and after last time, he really didn't want to go down that road with Adelia again. "Anyways, be seein' ya, Champ," He said with a wave, making his way to the bedroom. It was unspoken that Jack was thankful for Alex's time, and he knew it, and with that, he quietly left the house, snapping his fingers to Phaseshift back to Anshin HQ.

Pulling his layers off his upper body, he tossed them to the corner of the room, before he eased his jeans off. Normally, he'd stay in his jeans, but since she was already in bed, he'd change to be more comfortable - plus, she was up a better portion of the night vomiting and he tended to her more than Rhys, since Rhys was completely exhausted from everything on Pandora and Promethea, but he didn't mind, he'd rather take care of her anyway since he had experience with pregnancies before with his first wife. Sliding on his bright Hyperion yellow, silk pajama pants, he slid under the blankets next to her, chuckling when she turned to bury her face in his chest, a slight, delighted sigh coming from her as she nuzzled close to him, feeling his arms wrap around her back, holding her protectively to him.

"Welcome home, Daddy," She whispered sleepily to him, tilting her head up to peek up at him sleepily, a smile on her face.

"Good to be home, Honey," He purred back to her with a smile mimicking her own, his lips pressing against hers in a gentle, but demanding kiss, that she gladly returned, before nuzzling her head against him again, her hands wrapping around him loosely. It wasn't long after that she fell asleep against him, a small smile on her face as she slept. Smiling down at her, he moved his left hand from her waist, his calloused thumb gently caressing her jaw, his heterochromatic eyes watching her sleeping face. He didn't know what he did in his life to finally be happy, but he was glad he had done it as she laid here, sleeping in his arms. His only regret was bringing Rhys into the picture, but back then, he never imagined getting close to anyone again - he didn't deserve it. Yet, here he was, opening himself up to her all over again, and all she had done was treat his wounds from the previous betrayals with such delicacy and love. He loved her, and he had finally accepted that after she came to save him. He could no longer think of himself and act irrationally, he had to think of her. Of their child. "I love you so friggin' much," He whispered mindlessly to her, feeling her grip on him tighten a bit in her sleep. He knew she loved him, too. The way she danced with him, laughed with him, smiled at him - she never held any hatred or malice in her actions, just love and affection.   
And soon after, he closed his eyes, falling to sleep with her curled up in his arms.

* * *

_**AN: Slight Smut, then talking, then full smut.**_

Coming to, Adelia let out a soft groan, rubbing her eyes sleepily, feeling Jack's toned arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her protectively to his chest. She hummed softly in delight, moving her hands to gently cup his face, her thumb caressing his cheek slowly, studying his sleeping face. He looked more at peace now than he had before, and that honestly made her heart soar with happiness. For a while, he had nothing but nightmares, but now, almost four years after meeting him, he was finally comfortable around her and trusted her. Pulling her hand from his face, she allowed it to glide along his toned arm, giving it a gentle squeeze.   
"Jack," She whispered to him, her grey eyes staring up at his face. He grunted, opening his eyes sleepily to stare down at her tiredly. "I need to get out of these clothes, you have to let me go," She murmured to him, hearing him groan quietly in protest, but he unwrapped his left arm from her, leaving his right arm under her, watching her as she turned over, standing up in front of him. Thanks to all the extra hormones, she found she was often hot when cuddling him or Rhys, and now was no exception, especially with the thick, Hyperion yellow long sleeve she was wearing. It also didn't help that she had leaked through her bra, again, and her shirt was fairly moistened. Unbuttoning it, she hummed softly to herself, making her way to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her, leaving him staring at it with an arched brow, his left hand scratching a puff of hair on his chest.

After a few minutes, he heard the toilet flush, then the sink running, before the door opened, revealing her mostly nude in front of him - she wasn't wearing anything more than those damned boyshorts that always seemed to get him riled up. "Coming back to bed, Kitten?" He asked sleepily.

"No," She answered honestly, squatting down to pick up the clothes he discarded when he came home, holding them over the black skirt and yellow shirt she was wearing earlier. "I'm gonna hand this off to the laundry bots and probably start dinner," She continued, humming softly to herself. She had to get rid of the evidence and quickly. Sitting up, he rubbed his face sleepily, looking at the time ( **3:35 PM** ) on his ECHO watch resting on the nightstand. It was about time he started prepping dinner, but he definitely didn't want her around anything sharp that could hurt her. She mostly knew her body now and he knew that, but he was still worried about her collapsing. Feeling his worry in the back of her mind, she glanced at him with a sigh. "You don't want me to cook, do you?"  
"It's not that I don't want you to," He responded, tossing the blanket off of him. "I just don't want an incident like last time, where you almost friggin' stabbed yourself."

"That was only one time," She protested, carrying the clothes out toward the laundry room with him in tow.

"Yeah, 'cause I don't let you do it unsupervised anymore," He argued back, leaning against the doorway to the laundry room, blocking her from leaving. "I love ya, Honey, but you could've really hurt yourself."

"Aw, is Mister Handsome worried about little ole' me?" She teased with a mischievous grin, her hands caressing across his chest, her eyes staring up at him.

"You know damn well I am," He answered with a smirk, but stood his ground, his heterochromatic eyes meeting her grey ones. He knew she was up to something with that glint in her eyes. He hummed in amusement, feeling her hands moving up to his shoulders, his brow arching. It had been a few months since they were intimate, usually, she was around Rhys with the mood hit, but he didn't mind that much - he was usually far too rough with her and that could easily happen again, plus, she had figured out how to make him putty in her hands any time they started, and it drove him mad. She, on the other hand, was longing for him. Rhys was great, but she had been neglecting Jack, and she felt bad, despite him reassuring her it was fine. 

"Well," She started, her fingers tracing a few scars across his collarbone, his body shuddering slightly from her gentle touch. "I planned on cooking dinner tonight," She said, covering his open mouth with her index finger, shushing him. "But, I suppose, if I'm too tired to cook..." She implied, biting her bottom lip slightly, watching his face twist into that sadistic grin she loved so much, knowing her lust was creeping up his spine.

"Kitten," He purred lowly, his hands moving to grip her waist, pawing at her pale skin. "Are you sure you're up for it?"

"Yes," She whispered to him, her hands sliding around his neck, fingers edging into his hair as she stood on her tiptoes, before he lifted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist as their lips met in a shared, hungry kiss. Carrying her back toward the room, he chuckled at her vigorously attacking his neck in gentle kisses, goosebumps flooding his skin when her fingers tugged on his hair, a low groan coming from him. Never in a million years would he have ever been as vulnerable with anyone as he was her, and she knew that and often took advantage of it, especially since that night on the couch. He smirked when he felt her bite down on his neck, giving his skin a harsh suckle, marking him. She wanted to mark him as hers this time, he and Rhys often did it to her, and she knew why. It felt so good to know that they'd be marked as _hers_ for everyone to see, especially Jack. Normally, she didn't feed into the pettiness of the women at the office, but she loved pissing them off by marking him - mostly because he proudly showed them off. Maybe he was wearing off on her a bit.

"I love you," He murmured to her, his nose pressing against her cheek, his voice warm against her skin, a smirk on his face as she marked him more than enough.

"I love you," She whispered back, leaning back to meet his gaze, her grip on his neck loosening as he laid her back onto the bed, his hands roaming her body nearly immediately. He missed touching her, feeling her skin with his calloused hands, knowing _he_ made her gasp and moan. He knew their playtime was suspended until she gave birth, since the vibrator seemed to overstimulate her last time, and that was fine with him. He had other means to tease her. Unwrapping her legs from him, she smiled up at him, lifting her hips when his fingers edged under her boyshorts, a delighted hum coming from him as he eased them down and off of her. Moving her hands above her head just as he liked, he grinned at her obedience without him even having to instruct her, his lips pressing roughly against her neck, giving her snowy skin a few rough kisses, his teeth leaving a few lovebites here and there, each one eliciting a faint moan from her.

He slid his hands up her sides, stopping only when he reached her soft breasts, his rough fingers gently massaging the tissue, a low breath coming from her when she pressed her chest against his hands, a chuckle erupting from his chest. Shifting his gaze up to her face, he met her grey, wanting gaze with his own, her face crimson from his caring gesture. Letting out an amused noise, he ran his thumbs over her gradually hardening buds, a smirk growing across his face when her body jolted, a hushed, needing whimper coming from her. "So sensitive, Kitten," He purred to her, giving her nipples a gentle pinch, chuckling when she shuddered. 

"N-Not too much," She mumbled up to him, her blush furthering when he arched a brow. She was weirdly embarrassed to admit it, but she was lactating quite a bit with her pregnancy nearing its last trimester in the next few days, plus, she could _technically_ give birth to her babies at any point between then and now, and her breasts were filled to the brim with milk. Shifting her gaze from his, she squirmed underneath him, a sudden gasp coming from her when his lips replaced his right hand, giving her nipple a harsh suckle, her body trembling underneath him. He pulled his lips away, feeling the thick, sweet, creamy liquid coming into his mouth, swallowing it slowly while staring down at her with wide eyes, seeing her covering her face with her hands, definitely embarrassed. But for why, he wasn't sure.  
"Kitten," He whispered to her, his right hand edging under her left one, edging it off of her face. Her face was a bright crimson, her gaze meeting his reluctantly - she was completely embarrassed. She'd been leaking quite a bit in her shirts and even leaked against Rhys the other night when they were sleeping, though he didn't seem to mind, reassuring her it was fine, however, now, he did stay away from her breasts, saying he didn't want to force her to leak too much, that it 'couldn't be healthy for the babies' - and it wasn't, it could possibly push her into early labor, and though she was confident her babies were more Eridian than human now, she still didn't want to risk it. It also didn't help that the women around Helios had burned into her mind that Jack wouldn't find it attractive in the slightest, and even though she usually disregarded what they said, she did have doubts, especially since he hadn't been initiating intimacy lately.

"Honey," He whispered to her again, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked softly, his face softening. He didn't mind it, but he wouldn't have continued to tease her breasts if he had known, though, it did taste quite delicious to him.

"It's embarrassing," She mumbled, moving her hands to cover her breasts, her face remaining a bright crimson, but her gaze broke off of his. "All I do is leak through my shirts and stuff."  
He blinked, not sure how to handle this. On one hand, it was absolutely adorable that she was embarrassed about something natural, and on the other, he felt guilty for her feeling like she couldn't tell him. Moving his right hand to her chin, he forced her head to face him, a smirk on his face. "Believe it or not," He began, his lips coming close to hers, his voice barely above a murmur as he spoke. "It's completely normal for that to happen. Why would it be embarrassing?" She shifted her gaze from him again, chewing her lip lightly. How could she tell him without him getting angry?

"I... was in the cafeteria the other day and I leaked through my shirt," She murmured, her face falling a bit while he arched a brow, already growing pissed. The way some of the younger women were treating her was royally pissing him off. "A lot of the girls that keep bothering me when you're not around... They just kept bothering me while I tried to eat," She finally mumbled out, keeping her gaze from him while keeping her description vague. His lips formed a thin line, hearing her words, if one of them purposely shoved her down _in front of him_ , he could only imagine what happened when he wasn't around, and since she was _technically_ co-CEO and his Queen, she normally wore the Hyperion yellow blouses he had bought for her. It would've been obvious when she leaked through.

"Then Rhysie will just have to wait from now on," He said after a few moments. He was angry and she could feel it creeping up her spine.

"You don't have to-"  
"I _want_ to," He cut her off, silencing her protests. "This is perfectly friggin' natural. They're just jealous bitches because nobody would touch 'em with a fuckin' fifty-foot pole," He fumed, his blood boiling. That'd explain why she was always so weird about going to the cafeteria lately and why she spent so long in the bathrooms in the mornings. And why he regularly saw little cotton pads sticking out from her shirt. Feeling her soft hands against his face, he met her worried gaze, feeling the anger slowly dissipating. 

"Jack," She whispered to him, her thumbs dancing along his cheekbones. 

"Is that why you asked for Alex from now on?" He asked in a hushed tone, his face softening when she nodded, breaking her gaze from his. 

"I know it's stupid," She mumbled.

"It's not," He reassured her. "Well, maybe a little," He said with a grin, chuckling when she giggled. "After all, you could've just fired them or somethin', I wouldn't have cared," He added with a shrug. "Or, you could've violently maimed them, like last time," He cooed to her, a smirk on his face as she rolled her eyes.

"One time. It was one time," She reminded him with squinted eyes, referring to the incident with his secretary a few years ago.

"Still was pretty friggin' sexy," He edged her on, his smirk only growing as she huffed, her face dusting a light pink, breaking her gaze from his. She still had a troubled mind about what some of the girls had said and she felt foolish for even letting it bother her, and he could tell. "What aren't you telling me, Kitten?" He asked softly, his right hand moving to cup her cheek, grinning when she nuzzled her face against his touch. She truly was nothing more than a broken woman, always wanting attention from the ones who mattered the most, and honestly, it only reminded him of himself. 

"It's stupid," She mumbled, keeping her gaze off of him. It was stupid - obviously, he was still attracted to her or he wouldn't be here with her.

"Adelia," He said her name sternly, his heterochromatic eyes staring at her.

She chewed on her bottom lip. She didn't need him to reassure her - she knew they were just messing with her and it was just her hormones being a bit much. But there _was_ something she wanted to do that she could use to cover it. Shifting her eyes back to his, her face darkened, causing him to arch a brow curiously. "I want to ride you again," She admitted sheepishly. "Like the night on the couch." 

He blinked slowly, he knew she was lying to him, but clearly, it wasn't something she wanted to dwell on. She'd either tell him eventually or she'd get over it; one thing he had learned over the near two years he's known her, she didn't like being pushed - she'd push back. "I think you're just trying to take advantage of the fact that I can't punish you right now, Kitten," He purred to her lowly, chuckling when her body trembled in excitement from his low voice, watching as her teeth took in her bottom lip with a grin. 

"Maybe," She teased, sliding her hands past his side clips, fingers tangling in his hair as she pushed herself up slightly, meeting his lips in a fevered kiss. He groaned quietly against her lips, feeling her need for him creeping up his spine, their kiss only deepening when his hands moved to her hips, gripping her skin snuggly, his hardened, clothed girth pressing needily against her, a soft moan escaping her, her mind growing at ease. If just a kiss did this to him, then she truly had nothing to worry about. Moving her hands out of his hair reluctantly, she caressed down his neck, her fingertips dancing along his skin, forcing him to shudder from her gentle, intimate touch, a smirk on her face. She never failed to make him shudder when she rubbed his neck and, judging by the low noise he released, he enjoyed it as well. Gliding her hands down his toned body, she edged her hands under the waistband of his pants, pouting a bit when he broke their kiss to chuckle lowly.

"So eager, Honey," He taunted to her, his forehead resting against hers, his hips moving against her slightly, helping her edge them down, before he kicked them off, his lips capturing hers in a hungry, demanding kiss. She whimpered against his lips, feeling his hands pawing at her waist once again, her hips moving against him slightly, teasing him and her both. And with this teasing, Jack only wanted to tie her up and punish her his way, the way he knew she'd be mewling and begging for him, but he knew he couldn't - that was something he'd have to do at a far later date. 

He hesitantly pulled away from her, leaving her staring at him flustered, breathless, and mildly confused. He wanted to be on top, but it had been quite a while since they were intimate, and he knew he could easily lose himself with her, and that wasn't something he wanted to risk. The whole reason he had stopped was because of that time where he lost it momentarily and had made her bleed, worrying them all. He didn't want a repeat. Taking his seat on the bed, he allowed his back to rest against the bedframe, arching a brow at her as the realization dawned on her, a sly smirk coming to her lips while she turned to her hands and knees, crawling between his legs, her left hand taking his large, hardened girth. Smirking down at her, a faint groan escaped him, his eyes watching as she slid her tongue out from between her rosy lips, flicking it over his tip to tease him, her grey eyes gazing up at him, meeting his own. 

Moving his right hand to her head, he brushed all of her hair out of her way when she opened her mouth, taking his tip inside of it, another low groan coming from him when she teased his tip, feeling her tongue dance along his sensitive skin. She blushed furiously at his gentle gesture, flattening her tongue against the bottom of his shaft, taking more of him in, giving him a sudden suckle, satisfied at the noise he had made, watching as he tilted his head back once her tongue started pulsating against him, softly massaging his length. She wasn't sure why he hadn't been attempting to be intimate with her lately, especially now that he was groaning every time she bobbed her head up and down, her hand simultaneously pumping the rest of him with her hand - it was clear to her he had longed for this, and that wasn't lost when his feeling of want crept up her spine so suddenly, as if he were holding it back from her all this time. She trembled at the newfound feelings, reluctantly pulling him out of her mouth with an audible _pop,_ licking her lips slowly, her lustful eyes meeting his own as she carefully moved to straddle him, smiling when his hands swiftly found their place on her thighs, her own hands cupping his cheeks, bringing her lips to his in a passionate, needing kiss - one that he was more than willing to return. She had the intention of teasing him a bit, but he had other plans, his right hand moving to his girth as she began to lower, pushing her down and him past her entrance, hushed moans - and a surprised one from her - coming from both of them, her hands twitching against his cheeks, gradually sliding back into his hair, tangling in it.

He gripped her waist snugly, grasping at her soft skin as she began to move against him, gyrating her hips as she took him inside of her to his hilt, another hushed moan escaping his throat, meeting her loving, lustful gaze with one of his own. There was no doubt that they both wanted the same thing but couldn't have it, but it didn't stop him from moving her hips strategically up and down on him, hitting her _just_ right each time, a sadistic chuckle coming from him when she moaned his name out in a soft voice, his lips meeting her throat, peppering it in rough kisses and harsh nibbles, marking her extensively, but she didn't mind, instead, she tilted her head back, whimpering each time he bit her, her eyes closing as she picked up her speed, moving on him faster, feeling his fingers digging into her flesh slightly. He wanted to shove her down and pound her stupid, but he couldn't, not yet, and he had to keep reminding himself of that. Warily, he pulled his lips from her abused, bruised throat, groaning when she tugged on his hair, allowing her to tilt her head up, his bi-colored gaze meeting her soft one, both of their eyes closing as they met in a hungry kiss, his hands stilling her when she began to grow a bit too excited, increasing the aggression of her movements. 

She whined at him stilling her, staring at him with a reddened face, her left hand untangling from his hair to cup his cheek. "Not too rough, Honey," He whispered to her lowly, his breath warm against her face. "You remember what happened last time," He warned. 

Huffing a bit, she allowed her thumb to graze along his cheek, tracing his mark, feeling his grip loosen slightly. "Yes, Baby," She murmured back to him, clearly being swept away in the moment, but hearing her call him 'Baby' made is grip grow lax against her. She never called him that, not even when she was tired. It was always 'Daddy', though he wasn't opposed to it. It definitely excited him to hear her call him something so endearing; usually, Rhys was the only one called something like that, so it definitely delighted him over the moon, but he'd never admit it. Her lips captured his again, both of them kissing each other hungrily, his hands guiding her movements again, enjoying each moan she released against his lips, feeling her inner walls cling to him snugly. He hadn't realized how much he missed this - the way she felt around him, the way she moved and moaned for him, the way she kissed him so needily -, every time the thought had risen to the surface, he shoved it down, out of fear of a repeat happening. Sure, he knew it was probably wearing down on her, but he had hoped she knew it wasn't anything she had done, but with her, there was honestly no way to figure out her thoughts, and she often suppressed her feelings, saying 'the hormones were making her moody', but right now, she wasn't, and that was clear by both her markings dully glowing against her skin and the overwhelming feeling of lust he felt creeping up his spine as she rode him, her lips peppering his neck in gentle kisses, her hands grasping at his skin, wanting more, but knowing she couldn't. 

Rocking her hips a tiny bit more aggressively, she felt his grip tighten on her hips, but he didn't still her this time, his head tilting back as she littered his throat with gentle kisses, marking him in the same manner he had done to her minutes before. She felt the pressure building up, knowing she was nearing her climax, his low groans only edging her further on, her muscles grasping his girth snugly as she moaned his name out loudly, her hands gripping his back roughly, the sudden, familiar warmth of her leeching overtaking him, forcing his peak with hers, a low moan of her name erupting from his lips as well, his head tilting back while her face pressed against his neck, her body twitching around him, both of them panting heavily as she relaxed against him, her hands relaxing against his back, the warmth subsiding slowly.

"Jesus Christ, Kitten," He panted out, resting his head against the bed frame, his hands pawing at her thighs lightly. His throat was throbbing from all her little bites, but that was fine with him. He'd gladly show them off tomorrow.

She giggled breathlessly against him, giving him a quick peck before she slid off of him, lying down next to him with a flushed face, trying to catch her breath. The only thing that upset her with her pregnancy was that she couldn't control her markings anymore, especially when she was nearing her peak, even at Helios, she had a hard time controlling her markings, which is why she often opted for long sleeves and thick stockings or leggings, and one little slip up could be dangerous. With her nearing her third trimester, it'd only get worse, but Jack undoubtedly had a backup plan for that when it happened, and she knew it, mostly because he kept telling her not to worry about it.

_**AN: Smut over.** _

He glanced over at her, she normally wasn't one to get in a hurry to move. "I'm sleepy again," She mumbled sleepily, his brow arching, noticing her closed eyes. They had literally just woken up moments ago, but he was warned by both her and Alex that she'd sleep _a lot_ more in the upcoming days, something about 'saving enough energy for her to heal after giving birth'. "Stay with me for a while?" She asked softly, opening her tired eyes to stare up at him. He shifted his eyes down at his ECHO watch abandoned on the nightstand once again, seeing the bright numbers **4:35** burning brightly. He really shouldn't, it was getting fairly late and he needed to start dinner, but those damned eyes staring up at him so sweetly always got to him. He rubbed his face slowly, getting out of the bed only to slide his pants on, marching off to the living room to fetch his _actual_ ECHO, leaving her staring at the doorway, utterly confused. She let out a huff of her own, moving to slide under the duvet. She'd shower when she woke up, but right now, her sleepiness was winning over her, a smile breaking out over her face when Jack came back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him slowly.

"I figured you had something else to tend to," She mumbled to him.

He chuckled, sliding under the blankets with her, holding his arm out to her, watching as she shifted close to him, resting her head on his hairy chest, her body pressing against him snugly, shivering when his fingers rubbed along her back. "I had to tell Rhysie to bring us some food on his way back," He answered honestly and softly, allowing his hand to rest on her side. "Too late to start dinner tonight, especially with how friggin' sensitive your stomach is lately."  
"I didn't choose for it to be sensitive," She argued, rolling her eyes.

"I know, Honey, I'm just sayin'. I'd rather you not be up half the night puking your heart out," He retorted just as softly, snorting a bit at her sudden accusation. He was mostly used to them now, her mouth popped off far more frequently now, but he also knew it was mood swings.

She stayed quiet, her mind still racing a bit about what the other girls told her. "Hey, Daddy?" She asked quietly, getting a 'hm' in response, his eyes staring down at her curiously. "It's a stupid question," She mumbled softly, his brow only arching at her statement. "Are you really not grossed out by my... random leakage?"   
"Well, when you describe it like that, it does sound gross," He teased, moving his hand up from her side to run through her hair with a chuckle. "But, no, it's natural, Honey. You really shouldn't be friggin' worried about those hamburger suckers."  
She frowned a bit. "Why haven't you been intimate with me lately?" She finally grew the courage to ask, turning her head to glance at him when his hand stopped.

He hummed in amusement, a sly smirk on his face. "Is Kitten worried Daddy's not attracted to her?" He mused, his fingers gripping her hair lightly, eliciting a soft gasp from her. "'Cause if that's the case, then wow, I must be doin' a pretty shitty job of bein' around ya."

"It's not you," She murmured softly, her gaze shifting off of him. "I just have been getting overwhelmed with the hormones and stuff, words are getting to me, I told you it was stupid," She rambled faintly, beginning to turn her face away from him, but stopping when his hand moved to grip her chin, forcing her to glance at him again.

"Honey, I understand that you're moody and influenceable right now, but if this is what has been keeping you bothered, I'd rather you have come to me earlier than this," He whispered to her gently, his thumb grazing along her bottom lip. "And as for those bitches, I'll deal with 'em tomorrow. Simple," He answered with a shrug, a slight smile on her face. "If I wasn't attracted to ya, I wouldn't have gone to the Vault with Rhys. Or stayed around this friggin' long," He answered truthfully. Her face burned a bright crimson at his sincere words, her smile growing a bit. "The only reason I haven't tried to initiate is 'cause we both know how I am. I like to fuck ya stupid, Kitten," He teased, her face turning even darker at his words.

"You're insufferable," She said with an eye-roll, a grin on her face.  
"Yet, you're still here, and in love with me," He taunted, a grin of his own on his face. 

"I don't recall saying _in_ love with you," She retorted, giving him a playful wink, before she turned her face away from him, his anxiety creeping up his spine at her words. "But, I guess I didn't need to say it," She added with a smile, her hand playing with a small puff of hair on his chest. She paused for a brief moment, her hand stilling, feeling his concern creeping up his spine, the negative headspace of his was quickly approaching definitely weighing in the back of her mind. "I _am_ in love with you, Jack," She said outright, knowing his mind liked to play tricks with him, her head turning to face him, her grey eyes meeting his worried, blue and green ones. "I swear."

He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, a slight smirk creeping across his lips. "Of course ya do, Pumpkin. I'm Handsome Goddamn Jack," He said effortlessly, chuckling when she rolled her eyes, a faint giggle coming from her as well. She hummed at his sudden mood shift, glad she soothed his mind before it could spiral farther, but she moved away from him, lying on her back with a deep sigh, her hands holding her tummy lightly. The twins were being more than a little active after their... activity, and though it made her happy, it was still hard on her, especially when it came to biting back the bile that was rising in her throat. "Kitten?" He asked softly, concern on his face as he turned to face her.

She let out a slight grunt in response, rubbing her stomach. "They're active today," She mumbled softly, a smile breaking across her face when the warmth from his hand covered the middle of her stomach, rubbing it slowly with a grin on his face, feeling the powerful kicks against his hand. "They're getting more and more restless," She sighed just as faintly, closing her eyes. 

"Is that why you sleep more in the last three months?" He asked, his hand stilling when her markings randomly appeared again, feeling the three heartbeats with a genuine smile on his face. When she first lost control of hiding her markings, it stunned both him and Rhys, but now, it was such a common occurrence, and since Jack was around her more than Rhys, he was far more accustomed to it than he was. He chuckled when she hummed in response, keeping her eyes shut.

"In a sense. We really should deliver at seven months, but if we can tough it out for the last two, they're more likely to be more on the full-bloodied side," She answered honestly. She had no doubt in her mind that her due date was going to occur faster than she anticipated, but she definitely hoped it'd be closer to the nine months. Both she and Alex had realized the twins were already full of Eridian blood, given that hers was so strong compared to the other women, but she still wasn't ready to risk it. "I wonder if they'll be heterochromatic like you," She mused with a smile on her face.

Moving closer to him, he wrapped his arm around her, feeling her turn to snuggle close to his chest, her small hand touching his back lightly, a faint chuckle coming from him. "Wouldn't only mine have that trait?" He asked softly, holding her snugly to him. 

"Maybe," She answered gently, sleepiness starting to wear on her. "I conceived twins for you first, so it's possible it can influence the other. Then again, I'm not rightly sure. Heterochromia never did run in the Eridian people, and most of the humans around that time were brown-eyed. Our genes won against that," She added on sleepily. "Plus, it's not uncommon for our babies to share traits from both mates."

He hummed in acknowledgment, his hand rubbing slow circles on her back, feeling her gradually relax against him, her markings pulsating each time her heart beat, followed by two tiny, dimmer glows. He said nothing, just held her in his arms. He had won her over fully, and weirdly enough, that satisfied him far more than he anticipated. To know she was actually in love with him instead of going off the assumption? To hear those words roll off her tongue? It was unlike anything he had felt in years.

And not long after, he dozed off with her, the long nights of her vomiting having worn his own body down.


	31. Chapter 31

The next week came and went, Adelia was slowly growing sleepier and sleepier as the days wore on, meaning she and Jack hadn't even gone to Helios after their intimate time. He was too worried about her. She and Alex both knew she'd deliver at least a month before her due date, just based on how active the twins were. Both of them were fairly confident they'd be almost full-bloodied Eridian, if not full-bloodied, just based on all the essence she took from him, plus her own. Unfortunately, Jack's nightmares had started to come back with this news. Rhys, surprisingly, had grown more possessive of her with her officially entering her third trimester, which often led to glaring wars between them when they were together, though that didn't surprise her or Alex. It wasn't uncommon for the first mate to grow possessive toward the end of the pregnancy. 

_**A week later... 2:24 AM, Jack's house...** _

_**AN: Some suggest themes? But nothing really, just a few lines. Followed by violence.** _

Jack gripped Adelia's thighs tightly, feeling her grind against him, a low groan coming from him, feeling her tug on the back of his hair, instructing him to tilt his head back, which he complied, his head resting against the couch. "Just relax, Sugar," She said slowly, his eyes snapping opening, seeing Moxxi in the place of her, feeling a tight grip on his throat, his hands trying to move, but they were unable to move, no matter how hard he tried.   
"Why?" He choked out, seeing a sly smirk on his ex-girlfriend's face.

"Nobody could love someone with such a hero complex with a narcissistic personality," She answered bluntly.

Suddenly, Jack's eyes snapped open, feeling nails digging into his wrists, a large sense of distress and fear having blown through his body. Staring down, he saw Adelia beneath him, turning blue, tears streaming down her faces as she clawed at his grip, a choked version of his name coming from her throat, fear written all over her face. Just as soon as he realized it was her and not Moxxi, he quickly released his grip, watching as she gripped her throat with her hands, coughing a bit. Before either of them could say anything, Rhys stormed into the room, clearly having felt her distress, yanking Jack off of her quite literally, blackening the Hyperion CEO's blue eye, taking a trembling, coughing, and wheezing Adelia in her arms, shooting a warning glare at Jack.   
Jack, who sat on the ground with a throbbing face, stared up at her, seeing the harsh bruises on her throat, grimacing as he looked away from Rhys carrying her off, hearing her wheezing. He'd nearly crushed her windpipe, if not fully crushed it, all because of a nightmare he should've never had. That wasn't even _how_ Moxxi betrayed him, so why was he dreaming that? More importantly, why was he choking her in his sleep? Was he still afraid she'd betray him? No... That couldn't be it. Could it? He sighed loudly, running his hands through his messy hair. "Great goin', asshole," He mumbled to himself, hearing Rhys shushing her in the living room, following by her wheezing and choked sobs. She was healing, but it was slow, and he knew why - the babies took nearly all of her free energy these days. And he hurt her. Badly.

Shakily, he stood up from the floor, rubbing the swollen cheek under his eye. With the Eridian powers he had been given, it wouldn't take long for that to heal, but it didn't make the pain any less. Honestly, if anything, he was surprised that Rhys had finally grown the balls to fight back. Normally, he was extremely gentle with everything he did, never daring to touch Jack unless it was necessary, much less punch him in the face. And with his cybernetic hand at that. Slinking down the hall, the guilt was nearly drowning him as he rounded the corner, seeing her gasping, tears still streaming down her face as a faint light came from her hand, which was placed against Rhys's chest, in a desperate attempt to heal herself.

"What the fuck, Jack?" Was all Rhys could say, his bi-colored, brown eyes glaring at the other, his protective hold on her back only tightening. If this had been under better circumstances, he'd be proud of Rhys for finally showing some friggin' balls. But it was not.

"D-don't," She rasped out softly, causing Rhys to reluctantly tear his gaze off of Jack, glancing at her worriedly. Her breathing was growing better with each second that passed, but he knew he had done some considerable damage. "I-It's not h-his f-fault," She managed to stammer out. She wasn't lying, she knew it wasn't Jack's fault. She felt his distress long before he started choking her.

"You're coming with me to Pandora tomorrow," Rhys whispered to her softly, seeing the slight fear flash across her face, arching a brow at her reaction. Both of them apparently felt the fear creeping up their spine from her, followed by Jack's mild anger with himself for hurting her.

"That's not safe," Jack interjected, but he still looked like a hurt dog with the way he held himself.

"It's clearly not safe here, either," Rhys argued, shooting daggers at Jack. "Damn good thing I was walking through the door when I was."

Adelia couldn't help but rub her forehead with her free hand, removing her hand from Rhys, despite being very loosely healed, which he instantly frowned about. "Jack," She asked, her voice still raspy. "Did you do it on purpose?" As she asked the question, she met his worried, guilty gaze with her own.

"Of course not!" He exclaimed, running his hands through his hair. "I don't... didn't even know I was doing it," He mumbled faintly.

"Well, that's what happens when you're an asshole, dad," Angel said, taking the place of Adelia, forcing Jack to _actually_ open his eyes.

He realized he was drenched in sweat as he moved to sit up, feeling Adelia's grip on him tighten a bit, her eyes opening sleepily to peek up at him. "Jack? What's wrong, Baby?" She asked tiredly, moving a bit. Rhys groaned, but released his grip on her reluctantly, turning over to his back, falling back to sleep quickly. Jack trembled a bit, taking a shaky breath, his hands running through his hair slowly while he tried to maintain his composure. She glanced at Rhys behind her, before shifting her gaze back to Jack. "Living room?" She asked just as softly, gripping his forearm gently, watching as he hesitantly nodded, still shaking slightly. Edging out of the bed, he swiftly walked to the living room with her waddling in tow behind him, shutting the bedroom door behind her quietly.

As soon as she rounded the corner, he embraced her tightly, visibly shaken, his body still trembling slightly as he practically collapsed against her, both of them lowering to the ground, him in her arms. "Hey, hey, it's okay," She cooed to him, running her hands against his back, rubbing it softly. He let out a shaky, choked sob, his grip on her tightening.

"I thought I hurt you," He finally choked out between his sobs, his hands pawing at the back of her Hyperion yellow nightgown needily, something he had bought for her when she said her nipples were growing super sensitive when she slept, especially with the cooler temperatures.

"You didn't, shh, it's okay," She reassured him, rocking him slightly, something she had figured out seemed to calm him down. He moved his hands, only to grip her again desperately, trying to make sure it was real this time. "Jack, calm down," She whispered to him softly. "I'm here, I'm okay. It's okay. You're safe," She continued to whisper comfortingly to him, her left hand rubbing the back of his head softly, fingers running through the messy, brown locks, the top of which was perfectly curled against bright yellow hair curlers. She wished she could say this was a rare occurrence, but it really wasn't. Not recently. 

"Oh, God, Adelia," He choked out, gripping her even tighter like if he let go, she'd vanish. She frowned at him using her name, whatever he dreamed about had clearly shaken him more than she expected. 

"What happened, Jack?" She asked sweetly, her tone holding its gentleness. He tensed, his hands balling up the silk fabric of her gown at the thought of his nightmare.

"It was a mess, Kitten," He mumbled out defeatedly. "What if I fail this kid too? Make 'em hate me like my Angel did?" 

"You won't," She reassured him, her hand continuing to rub the back of his head, squeezing him reassuringly. "You have me. I'm not going anywhere."

"But what if I hurt you? I was literally choking you to death in my dream, and then you turned into Angel, and-" He started, the panic coming over him again.

"Shhh," She cooed to him gently, moving slightly to get off of her sore knees, shifting him closer to her swollen bosom. "You won't hurt me, I know you won't, even if you think you will," She whispered to him, feeling him relax more from the new position. The sleepiness was starting to creep back up his body as he relaxed, calming down against her lavender scent. "I love you," She purred to him softly, feeling his grip on her relax.

"I love you, Honey," He murmured to her, his hands moving to wrap around her, embracing her tightly. There was still something bothering him, though, and she knew it. 

"Jack..." She mumbled to him, staring down at him, feeling him tense more.

"Do ya really? Am I narcissistic?" He finally asked, feeling her gaze piercing through her.

"Of course I really do love you," She answered without hesitation, a smile on her face. "Yeah, you're pretty narcissistic, but that doesn't bother me. I was, too, before. Pretty sexy that you are if you ask me," She said, half-quoting his compliment to him, hearing him chuckle lowly against her.

"What do you mean you were before?" He questioned, hesitantly moving out of her arms, picking her up once he stood, moving the both of them to the couch. Knowing Rhys, he had taken up most of the bed now, moving to the middle in a sleeping bliss, sprawled out like he owned the damn thing. Sitting on the couch, he set her down carefully in his lap, flashes of his nightmare popping back into his mind, but they were eased when she cupped his cheek with her left hand, her soft thumb grazing along his skin.

She hummed softly, a grin on her face. "Alex told me I, and I quote, 'used to think I was top shit'," She began, seeing him arch a brow. "But, I suppose it was fairly true. I was very stingy with men and barely catered to any of the Elder's requests. I just did what I wanted as long as I got my duties done," She continued, glancing up at him, glancing at his shit-eating grin.

"Don'tcha still do that, though?"  
"Mmmm, not as much," She answered, smiling up at him. "Maybe on Pandora, but Promethea or Helios? Nah."  
"I never could understand why Pandora was different for you," He mused, his rough hands caressing her legs slowly.

"I suppose it is hard to understand," She responded, resting her head against his shoulder, letting out a soft yawn. "When the Destroyer was sealed, I created Eridium to keep it sated. After the incident with the _original_ Atlas, the Eridium seeped through the planet more than it had when I was active, and it tied me to everyone he touched the surface," She began to explain, hearing Jack hum in acknowledgment. "And since Elpis fused with the key to the Destroyer's _actual_ Vault and not one it just pops out of, it also meant that I was tied to everyone there, too, especially those who entered that Vault, including," She paused, glancing at him seeing that famous, shit-eating grin spread across his face again. "But, I'm rambling. The Destroyer wasn't always that. It used to be a healing Guardian until it was corrupted. It was my proudest accomplishment. I made it to help minimize the casualties from pregnancies and help boost fertility. It helped, for a while," She mumbled the last part quietly, her hand cupping her bump absentmindedly. "But when the rebellious human Siren decided she was tired of being in my shadow, she leeched off of it, something nobody was supposed to do unless they were ill. And since she wasn't ill, it corrupted the beast, making it into what it is today." She grew quiet again, realizing she had completely deflected his question. "After the Elders did what they did with the entire tribe watching, I just... grew to hate the extra attention," She finally answered softly. "I used to enjoy being the center of attention, but now, I feel like if I am for even a second, something terrible will happen."  
"That still doesn't tell me how you were a narcissist," Jack interrupted, his thumb massaging her thighs slowly, changing the subject quickly, feeling her growing uncomfortable in the back of his mind. "Although, I am absolutely enjoying learning more about your past," He purred soon after, giving the side of her forehead a gentle kiss. She had started to tell him stories of her past nearly every night to soothe his troubled mind, but there was only so much she remembered and far more jumbled into a mess, but he still listened attentively and she appreciated it, even if she did mix things up, pause, frown, and say 'wait, that doesn't sound right', he'd just shrug and tell her to keep going, that 'she could fix it later'. She often repeated stories and he'd never say any complaints, to him, it was nice just to hear her talk, take his mind off of what he had dreamed about.

She hummed in amusement, moving her hand to her lap. "I never had the desire to be with anyone in my time. Everyone who wanted to be my suitor, I turned away. I wasn't interested in any of what I have now. Settling down and having a family was the farthest thing from my mind; normally, an Eridian woman would enter her ovulation cycle early, but the risk of pregnancy was low and would increase near the hundred-year mark, but it was hard for a lot of women to conceive earlier, though it wasn't impossible. The only problem with fertility was that their human mates would die far before they could conceive, which meant that they often passed on. That was before I started marking and infusing people with Eridian power. And of course, I often joined in the celebration dancing that happened after a successful delivery. Nobody could keep up with me then, and I had made sure they knew that. I didn't hold my tongue on them, and it infuriated a lot of people. Though, since Alex was just a little kid, he found it very amusing," She answered, a grin on her face. "I probably influenced his anger and prideful nature a good bit. I knew my worth then, and it infuriated the elders that I wouldn't settle down with any of the suitors _they_ picked for me. I'd just glance, laugh, and walk away," She shrugged. "Go about my own business. I made the Rakks, Skags, and Bullymongs without their permission. It royally pissed them off. Was a fun day when they stumbled on them," She grinned, thinking of the faces the Elders had made. While she explained, Jack couldn't help but feel his heart yearn for her. She truly did hold some of his personality traits - maybe that was why they synchronized so well. "They tried to monitor what I could and couldn't do. I basically said fuck that and did what I wanted."  
"Ah-ah, language," He said sternly, a grin on his face. "I would've done the same friggin' thing, though."  
"Of course you would," She giggled, letting out another yawn, closing her eyes.

He glanced down at her relaxed against him, his own sleepiness creeping back upon him. "Let's go back to bed, Kitten," He whispered, hearing her make a small noise in agreement, her body relaxing against him more, but she moved her right arm around his neck so he could hold her up better, and with that, he carried her back to their bedroom, carefully placing her down against Rhys, who, surprisingly, hadn't taken the whole bed to himself this time. Before he could even get in the bed, Rhys turned over, wrapping his arms around her protectively, leaving her staring up at him with a slight smile, shrugging a bit, but she didn't turn over. He grinned down at her sleepy face, climbing into the bed beside her, his arm wrapping around her as he scooted close to her, her hand cupping both of their forearms as they held both held her protectively between them. 

And with that, they both quickly fell back to sleep.

* * *

_**That morning... (10:45 AM)** _

Rhys had left for work after a quick kiss to her, promising to be back as soon as he could, but she told him to worry about his safety over her, she'd be fine. The reason for his newfound worry was due to the fact that Jack actually had to go in today. And she had confided in him more than once about what the women were doing and saying to her, even cried in his arms a good bit, because she knew he wouldn't blow up. Jack on the other hand... She was preparing for a disaster.

"Are you sure you want to come in, Honey? I can just call Alex," Jack asked softly, watching as she struggled to get her stockings on, an audible groan coming from her before she fell back on the bed, rubbing her face. The twins were more than active, and that meant bending over was a chore, especially since she didn't have all the cushion that human women had between her womb and her skin.

"Can I just wear leggings?" She responded, holding up her half-pulled-up stocking on her leg, earning a laugh from him. 

"Didn't you say leggings hugged your stomach too tightly?" He asked, moving around to the front of her, kneeling down to tug the dark stocking up her skin, before repeating the process on the other.

She smiled at the sweet gesture, slowly sitting up, her face flushed a light pink. "Yeah, they do," She admitted sheepishly, meeting his gaze with her own. The love they felt for each other was unspoken, and the same went for her and Rhys, but with both of her mates, she knew how they felt about her and vice versa. Though, she was still slightly impartial to Rhys with him having been the first, and that likely would never change, but Jack wasn't far behind with his gentle gestures lately. He was letting her in slowly, but surely, and that was enough for her. His nightmare last night had her concerned now, and she didn't want him to go in by himself, where his mind could roam. Plus, she wanted to see the girl's faces when he waltzed in with all the hickeys she left all over his neck. 

"Pick your feet up," He demanded, her face flushing a dark crimson as she obeyed, a satisfied grin plastered across his lips as he slid her skirt past her feet, bringing it to her knees. "Up," He demanded again, holding his right hand out to her. She placed her hand in it, squeaking when he yanked her up with ease, but caution, her hands gripping his shoulders softly. Feeling his hands move across her rear, she heard the zipper closing nearly all the way, her hands moving across one of his many layers, undoubtedly groping his muscles through his shirts, though he didn't respond with more than an arched brow. Gripping the hem of the thick, Hyperion yellow shirt, he carefully tucked it into her skirt all the way around, enjoying her soft hum of curiosity and approval, before he zipped the back of her skirt up fully, tugging her shirt out lightly, to help reduce the pressure against her stomach - exactly the way he had watched her get dressed time and time again.

"How gentleman-y of you, Daddy," She said, her hands moving to his shoulders, a smile on her face.

"Of course, gotta treat my Kitten well, don't I?" He responded, his hands resting on her hips, a similar smile on his face as he gazed down at her lovingly. "Oh, that reminds me," He said, breaking away from her briefly when her marks grew visible again, digging in the nightstand, pulling out a special bottle of... make-up? She squinted at him, before staring at the jar, earning a sincere laugh from him. "Hold on, Honey," He answered her further question with a grin, his hands opening up the jar, scooping a tiny bit on his finger, before he took her left hand between his, his finger expertly covering her markings with the make-up, both of them watching as it turned to match her skin tone. "You're so friggin' pale, I had to experiment on some special chemicals to make one that'd match your complexion," He explained finally, taking another small dab on his finger, moving onto her other hand. Surprisingly, it didn't feel like she was wearing make-up at all. "Head back," He ordered, that cocky grin on his face as she obliged, tilting her head back for him, her body shuddering at his gentle, precise movements. He purposely avoided her hickeys he and Rhys had left on her the night before since it was one of _those_ nights. Honestly, he looked no better, nor did Rhys. She savagely marked them both, but neither one of the men cared a bit. In fact, it aroused Jack greatly to know she felt compelled to mark him so aggressively. She wanted the universe to know he was hers. 

She smiled at his gentle touch, and, though it was exciting to feel how gentle it was, it also made her happy to know he had done this for her - even though it could easily be jotted down as for _him_ so he wouldn't have to worry about her being in more danger, but it was better for her to think it was just for her. "Thank you, Baby," She whispered when he pulled away, closing the lid on the jar, a grin on his face.

"Of course, Pumpkin," He responded, giving her his usual cocky grin that she adored oh so much. "It wipes off easily with warm water and soap, so be mindful of it," He warned, setting the jar back down in the nightstand drawer, holding his elbow out to her. "Now, shall we?"

"Of course, Daddy," She answered with a smile, gripping his arm lightly, before she squealed, being scooped up in his arms, a laugh coming from her while she wrapped her arms around his neck, giving his lips a gentle, loving kiss.

* * *

_**On Helios... (12:25 PM)** _

Jack and Adelia attended the meetings they had shoved off for the last month, the board members less than pleased, but none of them voiced their discomfort, mostly out of fear of what Jack would do. Alex, of course, was in all of them, his feet cocked up on the conference table similar to Jack, leaving all the other members to share weary glances with one another, their eyes shifting to Adelia quiet often. The more people saw of Alex's true personality, the more they compared him to Jack and even went to the extent of asking if he was his long lost son, and getting even more confused when he addressed her as 'Mom' more than once in meetings. However, the confusion was more humorous to him and Jack than to anyone else, especially her, but that was mostly because she was dozing in and out of sleep, her head resting against Jack's shoulder a few times when she actually dozed off.

Only one person had the balls to make a remark about her sleeping, and what had happened was so fast - both Jack and Alex were on him in no time, sharing a glance, a smirk, then tossing the said person out of the airlock. "Anyone else have any more remarks about _my_ Queen sleeping during these meetings?" Jack asked, taking his seat next to her again. Feeling her head rest back against him, watching as she dozed off quickly once again.

"N-No, Sir," All of them said in unison, watching in fear as Alex sat back down, resuming his previous position. More than ever, he resembled Jack considerably, and it left them more confused than previously. 

The final meeting wrapped up quickly after and everyone quickly scrambled out, Jack shaking Adelia awake softly by her shoulder. "Oh no, did I sleep through the whole thing again?" She asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes with her knuckles. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize, Honey. You did nothing wrong," Jack cooed to her softly, giving her forehead a gentle kiss before standing up, helping her up. Alex stayed quiet, staring at her closely. She had entered the third trimester, but he was worried. She was sleeping far more than a normal Eridian would, but he couldn't vocalize his worry with her. Her body didn't seem to be under any stress beyond lack of sleep, so perhaps, it was just how her body was processing the pregnancy - she was on the younger side for it, after all. Plus, it was a bit concerning how Jack had taken the role of her primary caretaker when it was supposed to remain Rhys, but, as long as she was healthy, he couldn't rightly complain.

"I need to get back to Anshin," Alex said finally, standing up, embracing Adelia in a quick, tight hug. Everything felt right to him, maybe even better than he anticipated, so he really was worrying for nothing. He hoped. 

"Be safe, Sweetie," She responded sweetly to him, returning his hug with a gentle one of her own, a small wave coming from her as he headed toward the fast travel station. She hummed, staring at his back curiously as they walked, seeing him dematerializing. "Did I miss something?"  
"Oh, we just tossed some idiot out an airlock," He answered with a shrug, tapping on a napping Blake's desk. "Paul, go to lunch," He said, giving a wave over his shoulder, Adelia flashing a sympathetic smile at the secretary, being tugged beside of Jack.  
"Do I want to know why?" She asked, her cheeks dusting a light pink from his firm grip on her hip, guiding her with him, her flats as soundless as his sneakers while they walked.

"Do ya, Kitten?" He mused with a sadistic grin, a grin of her own coming across her lips.  
"No, I guess not," She said honestly, covering her mouth while she let out a soft yawn, her stomach growling loudly in protest to her yawn. 

He couldn't stop himself from chuckling, the doors to the cafeteria opening in front of them, the gossip happening among the younger women quieting, looks of anger flashing across their faces from all the marks she left on him, a satisfied smirk on her face. Maybe she was pettier than she realized, but she didn't care. He was hers, and they needed to learn their place, and judging by the smirk mirroring hers, he felt the same. "Gotta say, Honey, I love this petty side of you," He whispered to her, guiding her to the Lunch bot standing behind a register, taking orders. She hummed in amusement, grinning up at him, but said nothing, giving a slight wave to Eliza and Gwen, who were more than excited at her coming in with Jack and shutting everyone up. 

"Can we eat in here?" She asked softly, her fingers trailing against his hand. 

"With your friends?" He countered, arching a brow, before placing his order for both her and him - a salad for him and chicken soup for her. Honestly, she was sick of soup, but it was the main thing she could _actually_ keep down for a while.

"Yeah, I'm sure they were worried," She answered honestly, smiling up at him. "I did vanish for a week again. Please?"

He stayed quiet, unwrapping himself from her to flick his ECHO band with ease, paying for their dinner, his face giving off no expression when one of her harassers walked up to him, flipping her long, blonde hair over her shoulder, purposely pushing her breasts up to Jack. She scoffed, leaning from around the side of him, giving a glare to the woman. She had no time for the nonsense today, she was hungry, tired, and honestly, after Jack said she could fire them, she had a strong want to. But the woman ignored her, tucking her hair behind her ear, blushing under Jack's harsh stare, babbling on about nonsense that he clearly didn't care about. 

"Miss Adelia!" Eliza and Gwen called out quickly, causing her to turn to look at them questioningly, feeling something gripping against the ends of her hair, but promptly stopping as Jack turned, the anger fuming off of him, his grip strong on the wrist of the main woman who harassed her.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked lowly, his expression darkening as he stepped between Adelia and the woman, the rage from him firing up her spine, and in a split second, the woman instantly regretted messing with her. The murderous intent radiating off of Jack was no joke, everyone stopping what they were doing to watch the scene before them. 

"I knew you were stupid, but I didn't think you were this stupid," She piped up behind Jack, moving to stand next to him, her hand on her bump, a grin on her face. 

"I didn't do anything!" The woman, who neither her nor Jack knew the name of, cried out, tears coming to her eyes in a desperate attempt for pity.

"Really?" She mused, her free hand resting on his back. "What about the time you dumped your water on my head?" She started, Jack's rage only building more. "Or you telling me how much _better_ you were than me, admitting to being the one setting up me being shoved down? Or maybe," She paused, a sadistic smirk on her face, knowing everyone was watching the scene unfold. This was her chance to assert her dominance, and though she usually wouldn't, she had had enough. "When you brought it to everyone's attention that I lactated through my shirt? Then proceed to shame me and yank me by my hair? Telling me how 'disgusting' it was? That Jack wouldn't want someone as, and I quote, 'disgusting as I am'? That I should be ashamed of myself? Or perhaps," She paused again, Jack's glare now glowering on the other woman at all the information now coming to light. He had wondered why she was so ashamed of what happened when he fondled her and tasted her milk, and now he knew the full reason why. "When I _first_ arrived here and you promptly shoved me out of the wheelchair when Rhys was busy? You left me on the ground, spit on me, and then laughed and walked away."

The woman's face paled nearly immediately, feeling Jack's grip tighten against her, definitely cracking the bone with ease, a scream coming from her. "You did _what_?" He questioned sinisterly, the veins bulging in his neck and arm from anger. He had a shaking suspicion about the newer incidents, but the information of what had happened with Rhys? That was new for him. He very seldom checked the cameras. But now, he'd make sure to do it more often.

"I-I can explain," She whimpered.

"Save it, Kiddo," He said, forcibly dragging her toward the airlock release, shoving her into it with a swift movement, the screams being drowned out by the instantaneous murmuring happening, Eliza and Gwen quickly storming over to Adelia, taking their place on either side of her in case anyone else tried anything, but also making sure she was okay, and praising her for standing up for herself. "If I find out anyone else is causing _my_ Queen any fuckin' discomfort, you'll meet the same fate, capisce?" He announced loudly, his hands tightening into fists. Everyone quieted down soon after, the fear clear in the room while he made his way back to her, staring down threateningly to Eliza and Gwen.

"It's okay," Adelia reassured him, stepping out from between them, gripping his arms slightly. "They're fine, I promise. They just wanted to make sure I was okay." 

He kept a harsh glare on them but relaxed when her hands gripped his muscles reassuringly, his fists unclenching slowly, his eyes shifting up as the Lunch bot set their food on the pick-up counter. "Go sit, I'll bring it," He mumbled softly, his hand cupping her cheek for a brief moment, calloused thumb caressing her soft skin before removing his hold on her.

She hummed, glancing around him once again, shooting a glare at the woman who distracted him, knowing fully well that she was in cahoots with the other that was freshly thrown into space. "Oh yeah, you're fired, by the way," She said with a grin so wide, Jack couldn't help but chuckle lowly, his hand resting on her waist again, turning to view the woman that had distracted him earlier, no doubt in his mind that it was intentional to take his attention off of Adelia,

"W-what? You can't fire me!" The woman exclaimed.

"Pretty sure she just did, Cupcake," Jack said with a shrug, a smirk on his face. And with that, he shifted to look at her, watching as she was tugged away by Eliza and Gwen.

"Oh my goodness sweetie! That was so sexy," Gwen gushed to her, Eliza nodding quickly in agreement.

"I'm glad you put that bitch in her place," Eliza said, taking her seat across from Adelia, Gwen taking her seat on the side of Eliza. "I was wondering when you'd get enough of their shit."

Adelia hummed in amusement, smiling at Jack when he took a seat next to her, his knee bumping against hers purposely, setting her bowl of soup in front of her. He really wasn't comfortable eating in here with all his subordinates, but he wasn't going to argue with her. Not now. He was too furious, and after his nightmare earlier, it was better to just stay quiet. He didn't want to blow up. Instead, he tuned out the conversation, staring down at his salad, eating it without further commentary, which left not only Adelia concerned but Eliza and Gwen, as well. Jack was known all throughout Helios for being more than talkative with anyone who'd listen. Although she had calmed him down earlier, he was still worried; worried he'd be a bad father again, that he'd let his child down all over again. That he'd let _her_ down.

"Jack?" Adelia asked softly, her hand resting against his arm. He shifted his eyes to her, coming out of his trance, hearing the worry in her voice. "Are you alright?"  
"'m fine, Kitten," He whispered to her, patting her thigh lightly. She frowned a bit, Eliza and Gwen sharing a glance with one another. 

"I'm done eating, let's go back to our meetings," She added gently, a smile on her face as he nodded, having finished his salad a while ago. "I'll see you girls again soon," She promised, looking at her friends.

"Of course, sweetie! It was just a nice, breath of fresh air to see ya and see that bitch tossed into space," Gwen gushed with a grin, leaving Jack to chuckle lowly. He could see why she liked them now. "Let us know when those little bundles of joy pop out! We wanna see 'em!" She added on excitedly, before returning to chatter with Eliza, who just gave a small wave. She wasn't feeling well today, but that was to be expected, especially given she was in the middle of her pregnancy, unlike Adelia who was nearing her end.

She gave a smile and a nod, being led off by Jack, the janitorial bots swiftly cleaning their side of the table as she hummed along the side of him. She knew something was bothering him, she could feel it, but she wasn't going to press. Not on Helios, and certainly not after he was so furious. "So," He started, breaking their silence, his arm wrapping around her shoulders. "How does the whole thing work?" He asked, motioning to her stomach. "Like, if you can't give birth normally."  
"Didn't I explain it to you?" She asked, tilting her head. She honestly couldn't remember if it was him or Rhys who had asked last time. "Either way, it's like a human cesarean section. I'll go through labor like normal, but, I won't be able to, you know," She paused, blushing furiously. "Our muscles aren't made like that," She added on once the elevator closed behind them, beginning to rise. "We don't have enough strength to push. We found that out before," She mumbled softly. "Humans can give birth like that, but not even halflings like me can. The babies get stuck in our birthing canals and die. It can kill us, too, so..."  
"C-section it is," He said abruptly, rubbing his face slowly. He never expected it to be so complicated, or so risky. No wonder Alex had chewed him out that night when he blackened his eye. 

She smiled, intertwining her slender fingers with his thick ones. "It'll be okay," She reassured him, resting her head against his side. "We'll be fine."

"I sure hope so..." He mumbled out, his eyes snapping to the sleeping secretary again. "Wake the fuck up, Bianca," He said loudly, his voice booming off the walls, making the young male fall out of his chair backward. "Enjoy your nap?" He mused, a grin on his face as she rolled her eyes at his action. "When's the next meeting and who's it for?" He asked, watching Blake scramble to get back in his chair, his blonde hair sticking up in the back a bit. Honestly, it was weird how many blondes Jack hired. She had asked about it, saying he "didn't like blondes", which only confused her further, but he just shrugged and walked off after answering. 

Rubbing his eyes sleepily, he opened the schedule, shrinking under Jack's stare. "You could be a little nicer," She said to Jack, squeezing his hand lightly.

"That was nice," He answered, shrugging with a grin, chuckling at her eye roll once again. 

"It's in five minutes with Tediore's board," Blake answered sheepishly, glancing at Adelia, thankful for her to take his side again.

"Great, we'll be in the conference room, then," Jack responded, tugging her off with him. She flashed Blake an apologetic smile once again before they rounded the corner, a slight yawn coming from her again. "If I could trust ya at home, I'd let you go," He whispered to her, his arm moving from her shoulders to her hips, steadying her swaying frame. "Plus, Rhysie's gonna be in the last of 'em, so I can't just send him to stay with you," He continued, cutting off her suggestion before it was out.

She frowned a bit, leaning against him more. "I can handle myself."  
"Not happenin', Kitten," He answered without hesitation, opening the door to the conference room, Rhys instantly lighting up as his eyes landed on her, but he didn't move from his spot. He knew Jack would sit her down in the middle of them again. He always did. And she was swaying a good bit, he could see her health stats with his ECHO eye. After monitoring her closely on his off days, he had memorized her sleeping schedule, and it was coming close. She smiled at Rhys, giving him a soft kiss on his lips that he gladly returned before she took a seat next to him.

Once all of the meetings were done and finished, Rhys was preparing to shake her shoulder, his arm had fallen asleep about twenty minutes ago, but nobody dared to say anything about her sleeping against him, occasionally waking up, saying something useful, then falling on Jack, and repeat. But, Jack stopped him, earning a quizzical look from Rhys. By now, it was no secret that they were both invested in her, nor was there any doubt to anyone that they both loved her, and her, them. And, after Jack and Alex tossing the board member out, nobody dared to say anything with her sleeping, though a few did share a troubled glance among each other - she was supposed to be co-CEO but was sleeping heavily on important meetings that dictated the future for Atlas, Hyperion, (somewhat) Anshin, and Tediore. It didn't add up. Until Jack stopped them all from leaving, his fingers tapping on the table, getting all of their attentions.

"I'm sure many of you have noticed that Adelia has been sleeping a lot," Jack started, a few, faint 'yeah's coming from them, all of them tensing a bit. "I'm also pretty friggin' sure you all know she's pregnant," He paused again, seeing them all share a glance with one another. Truthfully, they had their suspicions, but nothing was ever confirmed to them. "And, she is nearing her due date. So until she has given birth and made a full recovery, I will no longer be attending the meetings beyond a holo-call."

And with that, he stood up, watching Rhys shake her arm lightly, hearing her let out a sudden 'hm', and chuckling at her slight jump, her hands rubbing her eyes sleepily, the other board members staying quiet, staring at her. It all made sense to them now, as to why she was sleeping so much. And why Jack had been more of a rabid dog about her than he was previously. Rhys chuckled, watching as she blinked her grey eyes a few times, admiring her beauty - it'd been a while since he could sit down and really admire her, usually, he was far too tired for anything beyond sex, if they even did that. The last few nights, aside from last night, were fairly dry for him. He'd come in, eat dinner, then promptly pass out. Standing up, he took her hand in his, helping her to her feet, both of her mates grinning when she covered her mouth in a yawn. Once the board members scurried out, Jack held the door open for her, taking his place at her right side while Rhys led her by her left, her hand gripping his cybernetic arm lightly. 

"Sorry I slept through them all mostly," She admitted sheepishly and exhausted, her face blushing at her words.

"Honestly, I would've probably fallen asleep too," Rhys said with a chuckle, Jack humming in agreeance. 

"They are pretty friggin' boring, don't worry about it, Kitten," Jack added reassuringly, the three of them rounding the corner to see Blake _very obviously_ watching porn on his computer. Rhys couldn't stop himself as he covered his mouth to stifle his laughter while Jack was less than pleased, and Adelia was a bright crimson at the sight. "Are you fuckin' stupid?" Jack barked, marching over to Blake, who promptly panicked, closing the browser. "If you're gonna watch porn on _my_ time, at least friggin' use a safe website!" He continued to yell, Rhys and Adelia sharing a glance with each other, before quietly easing over to the fast travel.

"We're going," Adelia said as Rhys quickly punched in the code, both of them dematerializing. Jack heard her, but right now, he had more important things to deal with. Like the fact that Blake probably just shoved nothing but viruses into the Hyperion database.

"You're fired, get your shit out of here," Jack said darkly, pointing to the elevator at the end of the hall.

"B-but!"  
" _Out_." He demanded, "Before I change my mind," He growled, his lips formed in a thin line. Blake hesitated, but quietly started packing his stuff, leaving Jack to rub his forehead in annoyance. He'd be here all night fixing things before all the secrets logged into the database could be leaked. Especially those about her. Hearing Blake scurrying off, Jack let out a long sigh, his fingers pressing against the clips in his face. Now he had to fix this _and_ find a new assistant. One that won't be so _stupid_. 

* * *

_**At Jack's...** _

Rhys was surprisingly not as sleepy as he usually was, but given how he wasn't on Pandora most of the day, that was fairly self-explanatory. And apparently, she was fully rested, judging by how she wrapped her arms around his neck, stealing his breath from him in a hungry, rough kiss, as soon as their shoes were off - a strange thing from her. "Baby, wait," He breathed out, using his height to his advantage, seeing her reddened face staring back at him, both of them panting from their kiss. "What's gotten into you?" She blinked a few times, frowning at his sudden question. "What I mean is, why are you being so aggressive?" He explained further, the unsettling feeling bubbling in his gut. She was never this aggressive, this was a first, plus, she and Jack had been far closer than she and he had been recently; it almost made him feel like they were hiding something from him. Almost.

"Nothing has gotten into me," She responded softly, her hands moving her hands to his shoulders. "I just needed my daily dose of my Rhysie's kisses," She flirted with adroitness, his face burning a bright crimson from her sly words. It wasn't a lie, she felt the need to be close to him - it'd been a creeping feeling the last few days, and honestly, it was to be expected. He was so busy with work the last few months, she barely got to spend any time with him, especially after he and Jack decided she wasn't allowed on Promethea without both of them. He chuckled, his lips taking hers in his typical gentleness, feeling her hands wrap around his neck, hands tangling in his hair while his hands crept down below her rear, lifting her up with ease. Smirking when she shivered from the coldness creeping through her stockings, she squeezed his sides lightly with her knees, earning a faint groan from him. "W-wait," She breathed out against his lips, "Rhysie," She said softly, moving her hands to cup his cheeks. "I wanted to tell you sooner, but you were so tired and I didn't want you to worry," He frowned. She was keeping something from him. "I'm nearing my due date," She answered his upcoming question, his entire body growing rigid. "As in, they'll be here a lot sooner than we all expected."

"But it hasn't been nine months," He spoke out tensely.

"I know," She nodded, "But the babies are ready. It shouldn't harm me," She whispered out the last part sincerely, her thumbs moving against his cheeks.

"How early?" He asked faintly. Her soft touch was keeping him from a full-blown freakout, but his nerves were shot now. So many things could go wrong. He could lose their child. Or worse, he could lose her.

"I don't know," She answered honestly, watching as his eyes searched hers, verifying her answer. "Could be in a few days... A week, a month, I don't know."

"Does Jack know?"  
"Yeah," She admitted softly, nodding. "He was near me when Alex and I realized. I wanted to tell you when I realized, but you were so tired and so busy with the new, Atlas building, I didn't want to distract you; you had so much to worry about already."

He bit the inside of his cheek, slowly setting her back down, breaking his gaze off of her confused face - he didn't know how to feel. On one hand, he understood why she didn't tell him, but on the other, he still had the right to know. She moved her hands to his shoulders, rubbing against him slowly. "Baby, I only did it so you wouldn't be dealing with the additional stress."  
"And what if you would've gone into labor while I was on Pandora?" He questioned slowly and quietly, feeling like he'd been beaten with a bat.

"I..." She furrowed her brows together. She could've gone into labor at any time, especially after the shoving incident. "I supposed, it would've been the same similar to what we discussed previously, the day I was shoved down. You'd be alerted by Alex or me, more than likely. But it didn't happen, Rhysie. It's like I told you last time, there's no point in going crazy about the what-ifs." She spoke with honesty, but honestly, the look on his face and the way he felt made her feel horrible for not telling him sooner, but she knew she wouldn't be going into labor any time soon, or at least, she didn't _then_ , but now, she wasn't so sure when it'd be. The twins were far more active than they had ever been, and that could only mean it was nearly time. "Baby," She murmured out, cupping his cheeks between her hands, however, he grabbed her wrists, pulling her hands from him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," She said softly, watching his troubled face.

"I need to be alone," He mumbled, her words weighing heavily on him while he made his way to their old bedroom. He'd go to their new room, but right now, he didn't want any reminders, and leaving to Promethea and leaving her alone was definitely not an option. Alex and Jack would have his ass on a silver platter.

She reached her hand out to him, but she stayed put, retracting her hand back to her chest, her brows knitted inward. She felt horrible and knowing how he felt made it even worse. She wanted to tell him when she first found out - for him to feel the joy and the excitement she felt -, but she didn't want to overload him with stress. He was already so tired and exhausted day in and day out for the last few months, and honestly, as much as she hated to say it, he seemed to only have the energy for sex, then bed when he _was_ home - it wasn't like when he still worked on Helios and had a few days off with her every week. She stayed quiet, though, despite feeling like a fleshlight for him. The kisses were fewer and far between for the last while, but she understood he was exhausted - that's why she never told him how she felt or voiced up any complaints to him or Jack. Jack was always there to pick her back up when she sunk low in her moods, even though, she really wished it'd be Rhys sometimes. She wanted to talk to him, to lay it all out, but she honestly felt like it wasn't her place right now, so she stayed quiet, shuffling over to the couch, setting herself down on it slowly, pulling her legs up, her head resting against the headrest, her mind racing while she stared at the wall and into nothingness. She didn't know how to feel right now, and that terrified her. All of the feelings she suppressed from all those years ago were creeping up her spine, to feel that disappointment from Rhys reminded her of how her entire tribe stared at her in despondency and horror after the Destroyer had gone corrupt. And before she could stop herself, a tear ran down her cheek.

Rhys, on the opposite hand, had his mind reeling, his arms propped up by their elbows on his knees, head buried in his hands. He had known something was off, just by the way Jack had grown even more protective of her, and last night, when they were all together, she had lost her composure for a split second on him and he felt all that she had felt - the hurt, the confusion, the worry -, but before he could even press on, he had fallen asleep, and when he had awoken, the feelings were gone and forgotten about. Now, however, they were present in his mind again. He knew she was hiding how she really felt and he knew he wasn't exactly being the best boyfriend to her, but this? He couldn't explain how hurt he felt to know she - and Jack - had kept this from him. Yet, he found his mind returning to the way he had treated her. He had stopped kissing her in the mornings since she was always sleepy either way, stopped giving her a goodnight kiss, when he had seen her, she always would give him the kiss first - it was never him to initiate -, and even just now, she was the one who gave him a kiss first. The only thing on his mind was to relax. It wasn't her, the babies, or how she felt - it was just something for him -, and even if he had just sat back and relaxed, paying her little to no mind, she probably would've hidden how she felt and just smiled and left him alone. Because that's what she did. She always hid things from him and Jack, namely how she felt. She wasn't the woman he fell in love with, any longer - she was just a scared, lonely woman, and he could feel that last night. Jack had let it slip that she was trying to overcome her past trauma, but he let it go in one ear and out the other, shrugging it off. And he was in here, brooding about her not telling him when she found out, instead of out there, holding her, listening to her, helping her through it, because she thought of _him_ and _his_ health. Not hers or her feelings. Just like before, she had placed him first.

He sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead with his cybernetic fingers. He was fully aware he was in the wrong, that he shouldn't be mad or upset with her, but he was, and he felt even worse for that. "Hah, fuck," He mumbled out, burying his face in his hands. He didn't think he'd be like this. He didn't think he'd still be hung up on being upset over things being hidden from him. He wasn't upset about Jack knowing it was twins before he did, but he wasn't here when she said it, plus, he was ecstatic about it. But now, this just felt like something she should've told him outright. And she knew that he could see it in her face, hear the sincerity in her words, see it in her eyes with her explanation. He couldn't lie to himself, though. He'd been less than ideal to her lately, and to her, she probably just assumed he was too stressed out to deal with additional things - which is exactly what she said. He felt like shit for being upset. It'd been more than a good five years since Stacy cheated on him, but the aftermath of unease still remained and it really shouldn't, not with her. Time and time again, she was there by his side, lifting him up. She gave him the confidence boost he needed, and now look where he was. He owned (or mostly) his own company, something he'd wanted since he was a small child, he had an adoring and loving significant other, though Jack being involved in that wasn't something he ever planned on but, given his previous obsession with Jack, he had to accept it. The old him would be jumping with joy, but now that he _knew_ Jack, any feeling of obsession was long gone. He should be happy with his life. He had a child on the way with the woman he undoubtedly loved to the ends of the world and back, he was more than well-off financially and safe, or well, as safe as somebody could be in this fucked up galaxy - although, Jack and Adelia have made it safer than it ever was with regular bandit clean up, most non-psycho bandits have fled underground, where nobody can really find them.

Releasing another deep sigh, he shrugged off his vest, his hand rubbing the port installed into his shoulder. It'd been bothering him lately, probably with all the moving and lifting he'd been doing lately, not to mention, he had a pretty nasty fall last week and nearly fell off the building. That could've pulled the port loose, considering he grabbed a bar with his cybernetic arm to stop his falling, and, given how _Jack_ designed the new HQ, it wasn't unlikely that the fast-falling played a big part. Unbuttoning his shirt, he examed his shoulder closely, looking at the scars with a scowl. He wasn't necessarily upset about them, but he could definitely see that the port was, in fact, loose. Which meant he'd have to have a new one installed. Which meant a lot of pain. An audible groan came from him as he pulled his shirt back up, buttoning it hastily. He'd deal with it later. He was getting distracted. He needed to deal with Adelia first and fix things... And apologize.

Opening the door, he silently made his way to the couch, taking his place next to her, his bi-colored, brown eyes watching as she rubbed her stomach, which seemed to be a tiny more distended than it was previously. She hadn't even noticed him, her eyes closed and jaw tight. "Addy?" He asked softly, his eyes watching her worriedly. She didn't respond beyond a quiet noise, his eyes watching as her bump moved slightly her jaw clenching harder. She was in pain. While memories resurfaced she had long forgotten, her babies decided it was nearing time, and she knew it. The way her stomach stretched more answered that for her. And the lower back pain didn't help any, plus, her breasts were throbbing something horrible. She could feel her entire body cramping; it was the beginning of her labor, but still, if it was coming this soon, then it was more of a matter of days over weeks. Since Eridians didn't give birth like normal humans, her babies would position more toward her stomach, which meant she'd be stretched more, before giving birth. Easily the most painful part of the process, she'd decided. "Addy?" Rhys asked again, worry present in his voice. "Addy, what's wrong?" He pressed, still not getting more than a 'hm' from her. Suddenly, her markings were bright visible, all of the pain hitting him - and no doubt Jack -, nearly knocking him to his knees. He was thankful he was on the couch.

And just as soon as he felt it, it was gone, but the pain echoed through his body. "Contractions," She murmured out, opening eyes slowly, biting back the tears. How anyone could get through that without shedding at least one tear was beyond her, though, she was handling it fairly well, given how others tend to scream from theirs. Taking a shaky breath, Rhys's arm lit up to life, no doubt in his mind that it was Jack before the ID even popped up on his ECHO eye. He glanced at her, watching as she stared up at the ceiling, rubbing her gradually hardening stomach slowly, before he answered the call, holding his hand out so Jack would be projected on a holo-call. It'd be a few days before her stomach was fully hardened and ready for delivery, the muscles making a protective layer around them to help. She'd also swell up a bit more, but not much, and that was only _if_ she could hold out a couple more days. She really didn't want to give birth. Not yet. She had issues she needed to resolve with Rhys first.  
"What's going on?" He asked, his glasses sitting on the desk next to him, face harboring the same look of panic Rhys had.

Rhys fidgeted a bit, turning his hand toward her, seeing her grey eyes staring at the both of them. "It's fine," She answered softly, but her face told a different story - or at least, it did to them. She had sweat on her forehead, her body seemed tense, and her face looked exhausted. "They're just moving," She continued, smiling at the both of them, but the smile was short-lived when she noticed both of them tense. Rhys wasn't an expert on children or pregnancy like Jack was, but he did know what that meant. Alex had warned him before, and Jack, well. Jack just knew what it meant.

"Rhys," Jack said with worry in his voice.

"Yeah, I know," Rhys responded, hanging up the call, leaving her completely confused while she stared at him. After sending a quick message off to Alex to let him know - mostly since she declared she didn't trust Doctor Samuel with delivering and Jack honestly couldn't argue, the doctor had gotten a bit creepy about the whole situation -, he reached out to her, his fingers grazing along her chin, tilting her head up. 

"Rhysie," She spoke softly, moving her hand from her stomach to cup his. "I'm sorry, I genuinely am," She started, his heart dropping. Even after that, she was still concerned about his feelings.

"Baby, no," He responded, squeezing her hand lightly. "I know you did it with my best intentions in mind, please don't," He whispered. "It just... shocked me. That was all." He was lying. He was still upset, but he did know she was only looking out for him. 

"I know you're lying to make me feel better," She said with a slight smile, putting her feet on the ground with a huff. 

"Where are you going?" He asked, watching as she stood up slowly, her bump was a bit more swollen than he realized, watching as she shuffled off to the kitchen.

"Moving," She answered honestly. She had no intention of doing anything _but_ move, her entire body was aching and cramping and staying still was only going to make it worse. He stayed quiet, standing up and making his way to her, his arms wrapping around her, stilling her.

"Addy," He whispered to her lightly, feeling her body stiffen lightly from his breath brushing against her ear, her skin flooding in goosebumps. "I'm sorry I haven't been the most... attentive to your needs," He started before she could protest, her mouth shutting at his apology. "Or to mine. I've only been catering to what I want and never asking how you are or initiating anything unless I want sex, and I'm honestly sorry. I can't imagine how that must've felt," He mumbled the last part quietly, guilt washing over him and creeping up her spine. She let out a soft sigh, turning to look at him, her hands cupping his face gingerly.

"Baby, I know you've been stressed. That's why I haven't said anything about it. You've been busy with work and I understand that. I wanted to tell you the second I found out, but you were so busy and stressed out. I didn't want to add more on top of it, honestly. I don't know what I'd do without my Rhysie," She added the last part with a sincere smile, despite her entire body cramping. Maybe it was actually false labor, but who knows. It wasn't that bad at the moment, she can ignore it until it was more apparent, plus, she knew she couldn't meet with Alex for her birthing process until her stomach was fully hard. "I love you. You took my virginity, my first kiss, and so many other firsts," She continued to say, her smile only growing at the memories, a similar smile creeping upon his lips. It wasn't a lie. He knew he was her first, but over the years, he seemed to forget that, to forget what kindled the fire for his love for her in the first place. Now, however, all those memories were coming back to the surface. The way she teased him when he pushed her around Helios, the smile she'd give him, the way she'd purposely wipe mustard on his cheek when they'd eat burgers and laugh and smile with him, and by God, the way she'd listen to him so attentively, nothing would ever change that. He could come in completely exhausted from the workday and she'd listen to him bitch and moan with no complaints, then cheer him up by watching whatever movie he wanted, tease with him, practice the way he'd speak to his shitty manager (that Jack happily replaced), even after the whole thing with Hugo and moving in here with Jack, she still picked him over Jack. She willingly gave him something she'd never get back - almost all of her firsts, although, of course, there were quite a few things Jack was still the first to, he wasn't personally into that stuff like they were. She had helped him with the promotion he wasn't expecting, organizing everything with him when she didn't have to, visiting him daily. Most of all, she picked him. Through it all, she picked him. 

"I love you," He breathed to her, staring down at her with nothing but love, seeing the gaze returned to him.

"I love you," She repeated back to him, her thumbs caressing his cheek, sliding them around his neck when his lips met hers in a gentle, but passionate kiss, full of nothing but love. 


	32. Chapter 32

That night, Adelia was left in a mess. Jack and Rhys were worriedly sat at the bar, watching as she paced around quite a bit, though, Jack's impatientness was winning fairly easily quite often by him saying she should, "Just call Alex and deliver them already" only to shush by her harsh stare. Normally, he'd never back down to a stare, but knowing she was in labor had undoubtedly landed him in a submissive mood. He didn't want it to be worse on her, and, given the way she was pacing, she clearly wasn't about to put up with his bullshit.

Eventually, though, she had settled down on the couch, her sleepiness winning over her pain while Jack and Rhys downed their fifth cup of straight, black coffee, determined to stay awake in case she started and nearly fell, again. Jack was more exhausted than Rhys for once, having spent hours reconfiguring and hunting down all the viruses and tracking software Blake had inputted into Hyperion, Tediore, and Atlas's systems, and it was shown in his face. Unlike Rhys, he was at least a good five years older than him, and he was long done with staying up this late to fix such a rookie mistake. Had it not been for Adelia seeming to enjoy the younger male's reactions to their conversation, he would've disposed of him far earlier than now, and right now, he sincerely wished he had, especially with the development of her going into labor.

"Jack, you should get some rest," Rhys said, setting his half-filled mug down, staring at him. 

"Not a chance, Kiddo," He responded, sipping on his own cup of coffee.   
"But it could last for days-"  
"I'm fully aware of that," He snapped at Rhys, rubbing his mask clips with his fingers. On days like today, when he had a pounding migraine, they really annoyed him. Part of him wanted to just yank them out right now, it'd give him something to do besides have his nerves wrecked ten times over, worrying about her and the babies. Rhys stayed quiet, staring down at his coffee. As far as he could tell, she was passed out, probably for the night. Honestly, this came at a super bad time, considering she literally _just_ told him minutes before it started, and he couldn't help but wonder if his reaction brought it on. 

The truth of the matter is, they needed to do this in shifts. She had said when Jack came home she might pace a lot since it, 'helped the cramps', but after she stumbled and nearly fell a few times, they opted to sit where they could catch her easily. "Jack," Rhys said, getting a grunt from the exhausted man in front of him. If he was going to be stubborn, then at least it could be brought to attention. "I need my arm repaired."  
Jack picked his head up, staring at him. "Fix it yourself, Kiddo. What am I? Your friggin' repairman?"  
He sighed loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose, "No, the socket in my shoulder. Because the little tidbit _you_ wanted to leave out from her when I fell off the building and nearly ripped the socket out of my body, is becoming more of a nuisance. And I can't fix the socket myself. She's going to notice eventually when I lose all function in my arm."

"Just get it fixed on Helios, Jesus, Rhysie," He snapped, rubbing his pounding head with his hand. Maybe he did need to sleep. The caffeine on top of his migraine wasn't helping him; if anything, it was making him feel worse. 

"Well, see, I would, only you threw the head engineer out the airlock two months ago," Rhys snapped back, both of the males sharing a similar glare with one another. "So _fix it_ , Jack."

Jack let out a growl, his arm reaching across the bar to firmly grasp the younger male's jaw, giving it a rough squeeze. "Listen here, you little shit. You may share her with me, but you do _not_ order Handsome Goddamn Jack around. Are we clear?" He asked lowly, Rhys's eyes widening at the sudden outburst. The look in Jack's heterochromatic eyes told him everything, he wouldn't hesitate to seriously injure Rhys if he stepped over. He knew Jack couldn't kill him, but he'd definitely come close to it. Hesitantly, he nodded his head, to which Jack sucked his teeth, "Good," He said, releasing his firm hold, finishing up his coffee, keeping his eyes off of the other male, who was flexing his jaw, rubbing it with his fingers. Jack nearly broke his jaw, or at the very least, dislocated it, and given their speedy healing abilities, he would've gladly done it without remorse. 

But Jack felt guilt run up his spine. Rhys really wasn't that bad of a person, he didn't deserve what he just did, and honestly, he knew these feelings of remorse were something he felt _because_ they shared her. Letting out a grunt, he rubbed his face tiredly. "Take your shirt off," He finally spoke up, seeing Rhys staring at him curiously. Instead of them striping down when they got in, they both remained dressed, mostly in the event that they had to make a trip to Pandora in a hurry. Or if Alex and Timothy popped by. 

"Huh?" Rhys said, blinking slowly, not believing what he had heard.

"I said, take your friggin' shirt off," He repeated himself, staring at Rhys annoyedly. "You want me to fix your goddamn arm or not?" Rhys's lips formed a thin line as he undid his button-up, shrugging off the sleeveless half of it, exposing the somewhat ripped out socket, dried blood around it from the constant, mild bleeding and healing from it. Unlocking the small, protective shell around the ball that connected his arm to him, he disengaged the arm, grunting when he pulled his arm loose. It wasn't painful, but it wasn't pleasant, either. While he was doing this, Jack had retreated to their bedroom to fetch his glasses and a small, portable tool packet. He wasn't really an engineer or anything, but he did know how to do the basics, at least to numb the feeling receptors in Rhys's arm for him until they could get him to someone on Helios to _actually_ fix his arm.   
Setting his arm down on the bar, he huffed, already feeling odd to have no feeling on his right side, watching Jack cautiously while the taller male bound over to the other side of him, his glasses on his face as he began tinkering with a small tool at the socket, but saying nothing. Jack was there the day it happened. He knew how bad it really was, but had talked Rhys into not telling Adelia until it got severe, mostly due to the fact that they didn't want her labor to start as early as it did, but it seems as if that didn't matter much. "Jesus, fuck, that hurts," Rhys hissed, shooting a glare at Jack. Jack just rolled his eyes, continuing to tinker, despite Rhys's growing annoyance at the pain; he wanted to make a smartass remark, but he didn't have any that came to mind at the moment. Rhys's arm was in far worse shape than he anticipated, and finding the feeling - specifically pain - receptors was proving to be more difficult than he bargained for. The fall had definitely done a number on the socket and wiring inside.

"You need to go to Helios tonight," Jack declared, minutes later, pulling his tools away, not wanting to further damage the socket. He couldn't find the receptors, they'd shifted when his arm caught him from freefalling. "I can't find anything in there, it's all fucked up." Rhys rolled his eyes, his hand covering the hole when Jack moved away, his glasses and toolset discarded on the bar. "I'll call the engineer for you," He added, flicking his ECHO watch to life.

"No way, I'm not leaving her," Rhys declared, snatching his arm back off the table, but stopping when Jack's hand grabbed the arm.

"Rhysie, Kiddo, I wasn't giving you a choice," He spoke threateningly, glowering at the younger male. "Go get your shit fixed, I'm sure she's going to need us when she delivers, and if you're one arm down, what good are ya? Huh?"

Rhys stayed quiet, gulping a bit at the warning stare Jack was giving him. "...Fine," He finally mumbled in submission, his shoulders drooping in defeat. Jack had already manhandled him once, he wasn't about to have it done again, plus, he was right. How was he supposed to help if his mind was on his busted arm? Picking his arm up, he reattached it, placing the protective shield on it, hesitating on leaving. "Please let me know if it gets worse, I really want to be there," He mumbled out, staring at Jack with his bi-colored, brown eyes.

Although he didn't want to share that moment with Rhys, he knew how devastated he'd be if he was left out during that moment. Ever since she came into the picture, he'd grown soft about things, more willing to negotiate on things than he had been before. She gave him clarity and it probably saved him from more stress than he realized, but it also caused some he knew would've been prevented if he'd just handled things the way he used to. Letting out a deep sigh, he rubbed his aching head again. "I will, Kiddo. Go get your arm fixed," He said, flicking his ECHO watch on, sending a message to the Cybernetic engineer to come in ASAP for an emergency while Rhys walked out the door. He heard Adelia groan behind him, shifting on the couch a bit, before he heard her shuffle over to him, her hands moving down his torso. "Well, good morning, Kitten."

"Let's go lay down, I'm not hurting as bad," She mumbled to him sleepily, her body resting against his back. "If I have to get up, I'll wake you up," She continued before he could start his question.

He stayed quiet, rubbing his chin. His head _was_ hurting him. What harm could it do? "Alright, Honey," He finally answered, standing up, leaving his tools and glasses on the bar, his arms wrapping around her waist. "Let's go to bed, then."

She smiled up at him, her arms reaching up, wrapping around his neck while his eased down her body, lifting her up with ease, carrying her off to their bedroom.

Over the course of the night, she'd only gotten up once, and that was to use the bathroom, but Jack still had woken up when she shifted out of his arms, his sleepy eyes watching as she shuffled over to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. While she was in the bathroom, he reached over, grabbing his ECHO watch to check on Rhys, who was still at Helios at two-thirty in the morning; the socket was probably being fully replaced if Jack had to guess - he knew when Rhys feel it did a considerable amount of damage, but not to the extent he had seen. Setting the watch back down, he heard the door open back up, watching with a slight grin while she shuffled back over to the bed, crawling in beside him, a quiet huff escaping her.

"Where's Rhysie anyway?" She mumbled out sleepily, hand on her bump while Jack wrapped his large arm back around her petite frame, his hand covering hers.

"He had to deal with something," He answered vaguely, pressing his chest against her back, holding her close. "He'll be back."  
She hummed sleepily, but accepted his answer, moving her other hand to cup his, a sleepy smile on her face. "I trust you," She whispered to him, his body growing rigid against her. She'd said it time and time again, but for some particular reason, it sounded different this time, like she was warning him of something to come. But that could just be his nerves acting like that, and that was what he hoped. Without another word, she fell asleep against him, the only sound in his ears was his pounding heart, feeling the very slight movement beneath his fingers. The reality was finally struck him that he was going to be a father again. And that terrified him.

* * *

_**A week later...** _

_**Pandora (9:54 AM)** _

As expected, Rhys had to have his socket replaced, which led to a string of cussing every time something brushed against him. He had to admit what happened to Adelia, and he and Jack were very harshly chastised, but she just let out a sigh of relief in the end, glad that both of them were okay. She took it strangely well, considering how Jack and Rhys had anticipated, but given the amount of discomfort she was in right now, she probably had other things on her mind - and she did. She was excited and terrified. She was excited to be a mother, but scared for the delivery - so many things could go wrong -, and she didn't trust Samuel as far as she could toss him - which wasn't far without using her powers, if at all. He had been acting strangely to her once the pregnancy was brought to light, even rubbing Jack the wrong way, and that was saying something, considering Jack regularly sung to Samuel's graces. 

But now, it was time, her grip their hands tightening as the contractions moved closer together. They'd decided she would deliver in the new Atlas HQ that was finished last week, so she'd feel more at ease, being on the planet she had protected for years. Jack upped the security, as well, stationing far more WAR Loaders and Loader bots than necessary while Rhys had a fair few of his troops stationed around, as well. The only people allowed in or out were Jack, Rhys, Timothy, and Alex. And thanks to this having already been the plan a while back, there was no fast travel station installed this early, those always came later, which added another layer to their confliction about Doctor Samuel. Had Alex and Adelia had it their way, Samuel wouldn't even be involved, but if something went wrong, he would have to issue the new-age medicine, something Alex nor Adelia had any knowledge about - plus Adelia would be put into a light sleep by an anesthetic to minimize her healing.

Gripping both Rhys and Jack's hands in hers, she smiled at them both, "I love you both," She said sweetly, excitement coursing through her as the mask was placed over her nose and lips, her eyelids growing heavy nearly immediately, her hands growing slack on theirs as they took their spots next to her, both men's nerves high as they shared a similar glance with one another. If they'd waited any longer, she'd be stuck giving birth the traditional way, and based on what Alex and she had explained, it'd lead to death, and none of them wanted that. Timothy quietly walked into the room with Alex, Doctor Samuel removing the mask from her face, shifting uncomfortably under Jack and his doppelgangers stare. Tim didn't like violence, but he knew his appearance struck fear in others, and having heard her declare her discomfort with Samuel, it was the least he could do. She did save his ass from the casino hell, healed his face (though it was re-marked, just willingly this time), and disarmed the bomb implanted in his face (and didn't tell Jack, so he still thought it was fully active). Plus, this was nothing compared to what Jack made him do.

Rhys gripped Adelia's limp, right hand tightly with his flesh one, while Jack squeezed her left one with his right one, both of them watching her while Alex unbuttoned and moved her shirt out of the way, placing surgical bandages around the incision area, before applying a disinfectant. Normally, she'd be naked, but she declared she wasn't comfortable with Samuel in the room with her, and that was fine - Eridians barely bled during this procedure unless a vein was directly nicked. After a few moments, he cut into her stomach slowly. He'd delivered countless babies with her, he could do this, and he did it expertly, having memorized her technique then. And within minutes, he was at her womb, cutting it carefully as to not damage it too severely. She'd heal, but he still didn't want to make it any more uncomfortable for her. Seeing the head of one of the babies, he carefully set the scalpel down pulling the tiny body out of hers, to which everyone, except him, shared confused glances. The baby was awfully tiny compared to a human child, but they were - Eridians don't have a lot of room in their womb for the baby to be the full-size of a human, that comes after a week of them being out and on their own, after breastfeeding. After cutting the umbilical cord with ease, he handed the tiny baby over to Samuel, flashing a cautious glance to Tim, who nodded quietly, his eyes staying on the fidgeting doctor, who was quietly cleaning off the small body with a warmed washcloth, wiping off the blood with ease when suddenly, the baby let out a wail, both Jack and Rhys sharing a similar smile, but the smile quickly faded as they felt her body starting to leech from them, their eyes watching as Alex recut into her body, the thin wound having already healed. Quickly, but carefully, he set the scalpel down again, sliding his hands in to pull the tinier baby out. With twins, it wasn't uncommon for the second to be tinier or further down, and that was the case this time.

"Shit," He mumbled, feeling her already healing.

"Shit? What do you mean shit?" Rhys asked worriedly, while Jack shared a similar expression of worry, but he said nothing, his eyes also remaining on Samuel, who was quietly edging to the door.

"She's healing quicker than I can get to the other," Alex explained, grabbing the scalpel to make another cut, his finger grazing along the back of the other child. He needed to get it out, she'd pass what was left of the placentas later, after reabsorbing all the power she'd given the babies. It was more beneficial to leave it in her than remove it. Finally, he brought the smaller baby out, cutting the umbilical cord the same as he had with the other, just as Samuel bolted for the door with the baby. Jack stood up quickly, his stool flying away as Alex let out an audible cuss, but Tim was on it, making quick bounds to block the door, his arms crossing over his chest, staring down at the doctor with the exact glare Jack had.

"Mister Lawrence, please let me out, I can pay off your debt to Jack if I can just get this baby out-"  
"And his true plans shine through," Jack declared, a scowl on his face as he slowly stood up, his grip on her disappearing before returning in his other hand, his dominant hand now holding his pistol directly at the once-trusted doctor.

"My debt is already paid," Timothy responded, scowling exactly the same as Jack. It wasn't a lie, Alex had already paid off the contract, but both of them had enjoyed going on missions for Jack, being able to venture the universe, so he simply extended his contract, despite, years ago, he couldn't wait to get out of it. He could leave any time he wanted, but he'd forever look like Jack, and there was nothing that could change that, so he figured, he may as well continue with it - after all, he wasn't alone, anymore. "Give me the child, Samuel," He warned, holding his hand out for the wailing child.

Samuel, on the other hand, was visibly glistening with sweat, his hands shaking in terror. He had been had, he knew it wouldn't work, but that damn Aurelia lied, unsurprisingly, too. "Y-You don't understand, I don't have a choice," He stammered out, staring up at Timothy pleadingly. "Aurelia - she, she's with Maliwan, they're not going to stop until I get them an Eridian."  
"Give me the child," Timothy repeated, clenching his jaw. Whatever excuse he had, it wasn't going to work. 

"They're probably outside now! Just look out the window!" Samuel stammered, a few WAR loaders going off, but then silence, a radio transmission coming in from one of the bots.

"Perimeter secured," One of the Hyperion engineers said.

"Here are your options," Alex started before Jack could, handing the tiny girl to her father, leaving Rhys standing there wildly, staring down at the pale baby in his arms, hearing her wail loudly, but when he wiggled his cybernetic finger, she hushed slowly, a few whimpers coming from her as she opened her eyes, showing off the heterochromatic colors - the left eye brown while the right eye was a nearly transparent grey, similar to her mother's. A grin broke out across his face at the revelation that he had a baby girl, his eyes shifting to Adelia, who stirred slightly but was more hazed than anything, her eyes looking over at her baby in Rhys's arm, a sleepy grin on her face, completely oblivious to the conflict in the room. Alex had predetermined the amount necessary for the birthing process and had it sectioned off accordingly so she'd wake up not long after he was done. "You can either give back the baby, or you can deal with me and Jack. The choice is yours, really," He continued, stepping closer to Samuel, who's eyes shifted around the room quickly, backing away to the window, his back pressing against the warm glass, arms clutching the wailing baby.

"D-don't come any closer, or I'll jump out the window with the baby," Samuel threatened, his eyes wide, sweat running down his face, his eyes scanning for any sight of reinforcements, but finding nothing but blown up vehicles and dead bodies. 

Jack was growing impatient, but not before Adelia came to her senses, realizing that she only saw one of her babies. It wasn't like Alex to separate them this early, she'd taught him far better than that, and the realization had struck her. Without hesitation, she held her hand out to him, Phaselocking her wailing son, guiding him out of the kidnapper's arms, but not without cost - blood ran out of her nose, she hadn't used her abilities to this extent in a while, and still trying to adjust to the power she previously held wasn't something she could get used to in a matter of minutes. Once she reached Alex, she huffed heavily, her hand moving to cover her bleeding nose, her head tilting back as Jack pulled the trigger on his gun, the single gunshot echoing in the room as Samuel's body flew out the window and to the ground below.

"Addy!" Rhys exclaimed, shifting the tiny body in his arms to grip Adelia's shoulder, holding her up as she coughed blood up. Alex turned quickly, while Jack reholstered his gun, pulling his handkerchief out of one of his jacket pockets, holding it over her mouth lightly, only removing his hand when she took hold of it.

"Head back, Kitten," Jack demanded, wiping some of her blood off of her chin with the bottom of his handkerchief.

"Goddammit," Alex sighed loudly, handing the baby in his arms to Jack, who stared down at it with surprised eyes, blinking a bit. He kept his eyes on the tiny baby in his arms, a grin breaking out across his face when he stopped his wailing. Just as she had expected, their son was heterochromatic, like him - his right eye green while his left eye was grey, like hers. "Why'd you do that? I had it under control," Alex said to her, taking a seat next to her, his hand covering her bloodied nose and handkerchief, tilting her head back further. 

"Under control my ass," She mumbled out, hissing when he purposely pushed too hard against her nose, earning another cough from her.   
"You _know_ better," He chastised her, but she stayed quiet, she did know better than to use her abilities so soon after giving birth, but what choice did she really have? She didn't want to chance her son being ripped away from her before she could even hold him. He let out a long sigh, his marks appearing briefly through his clothes, healing the damage she had done to herself before she could make herself more vulnerable, her markings glowing vibrantly for a brief second, before dulling back to their usual, blue tone. Jack was too busy gushing over his son to notice what was going on, a slight smile coming to her face while Rhys stared down in worry - he already had his gushing time, he was far more worried about her right now. "There," He finally said, moving his hand from hers. "Don't do it again, you know you can't use them for another month," He warned, getting an eye roll from her. He glanced at Timothy, before standing back up. "You should get back to Helios now, they've connected to the planet like we have, there's no point staying."

She hummed lightly, feeling much better now that she wasn't hacking up a lung or bleeding from her nose. Reaching her hands out to Rhys, she smiled at him when he handed her over, carefully cradling her baby girl in her arms, bringing the tiny baby to her chest, her hand undoing her shirt slowly. She should've started breastfeeding the second she woke up, but since there was an incident, she couldn't. Sliding her shirt off of her shoulders, Alex cleared his throat, looking away while Tim met Alex's gaze with a red face, meeting Alex in the middle of the room, both of them staring out the window. They weren't insanely high, but they were fairly high - on the tenth floor of the thirty-story building.   
"A baby girl," Rhys breathed out, taking a seat next to her, watching as she helped the baby latch onto her rosy bud, a smile on her face as the tiny baby eagerly sucked. 

"And a baby boy," Jack finally piped in, his initial excitement having been exhausted now, handing the bigger, but still tiny, baby to her, helping her pull her shirt down. His child, of course, had no problem latching, a chuckle coming from him as he watched the two, tiny babies feed on their mom, his eyes staring down at the three of them. He felt weirdly complete, for the first time in years, seeing her smiling down at their children.  
And Rhys, well Rhys was over the moon, his heart full as could be with happiness, his hand softly gripping Adelia's thigh. She hummed in delight, her cheeks flushing a bright red when both men placed a gentle kiss on her cheeks, her face hurting from her wide smile. She was happy, as well, a successful birth, pretty much no injury (aside from ones she personally caused), and now, there were two more Eridians in the universe that she knew of. A huge part of her was thankful she wasn't a human, she wasn't nearly as exhausted as she had expected to be, but she also didn't suffer terrible labor - the cramping was still there, but not as bad as a human would've had. She was still tired, but she could move around a lot more if necessary, and, since she had Rhys and Jack next to her the entire time Alex was there, she healed up nicely and was nearly physically healed already. Some things, though, just wouldn't heal fully for a while - like her stretched stomach; that'd take time and exercise (mostly time) - but that was fine with her.

"Not to ruin the moment, but we have company," Alex said, both he and Timothy backing away from the window, glancing at Adelia, the twins, and Rhys and Jack. 

"I-It looks like S-Samuel wasn't lying," Timothy piped up sheepishly, his face dusted a light pink at Adelia's exposed markings - both fascinated and embarrassed to see them -, his cheeks reddening even more from Jack's harsh stare. Jack hated when he stuttered and stammered, but he wasn't technically under the same contract anymore, so he couldn't rightly do anything... And Adelia would protect him. He knew that. 

"Stop," Alex said when Jack started to unholster his gun, ready to go in balls (and guns) blazing. "No, we do this my way," He said, walking over to the five of them. "I'll send you both to Helios, then Tim and I will handle it," He explained, glancing at Adelia, then Rhys and Jack. "It'll be better that way. Adelia can't fight on her own, plus there are the two twins who we have no idea if they're Sirens yet or not, and Rhys," He paused, shrugging an apologetic shrug at Rhys. "It'd be safer if all of you were together."  
"I mean, you are right," Rhys mumbled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. He did have the ECHO eye enhanced to auto-lock onto targets, but he'd still be useless otherwise. Violence was Jack's schtick, not his. 

"Are you sure you'll be okay, Alex?" Adelia asked finally, shifting her arms slightly, cradling the feeding babies closer to her.

"He'll be fine," Jack reassured, a smirk on his face. He knew Alex could fend for himself, and Tim was easily capable of helping (even if he didn't like to), Jack had trained Tim that way. And Alex? Well, he reminded Jack of himself. He was skilled with a gun when necessary, and, based on what he had seen when he brought Lilith to her knees fully and kept her there with ease. 

"I'll check in after," Alex added in silent agreeance with what Jack said. "We both will," And with that, Adelia, Rhys, Jack, and their babies were teleported to Jack's penthouse. Rhys caught Adelia when she waivered while Jack steadied her grip on the twins.

"Careful, Honey," Jack whispered to her softly.

"Are you okay, Baby?" Rhys asked just as softly as Jack, steadying her fully.

"Yeah, I'm fine," She reassured them both. "I'm just a bit tired. It was a dramatic shift from sitting to standing suddenly," She added on, smiling when the two babies unlatched from her breasts finally, cooing a bit, both of their heterochromatic eyes looking around curiously, her cheeks flushing a light pink when Rhys pulled her shirt back up her shoulders.

Jack and Rhys shared a glance, before Jack carefully took the babies from her, cradling their tiny figures in his large arms. "They're so friggin' tiny," Jack mused with a chuckle, moving toward the front door while Rhys slid his cybernetic arm down, lifting her up with ease, chuckling when she squealed at the sudden lift up, carrying her behind Jack.

"They really are," Rhys agreed, feeling her arms wrap loosely around his neck. 

* * *

_**A few hours later...** _

_**Helios (4:55 PM)** _

Although Alex and Samuel had wiped her babies down well, it wasn't good enough for her. Once she had her bearings, she took a warm washcloth and wiped their faces and tiny bodies, singing a soft song to them that they seemed to enjoy, Rhys watching from the doorway silently, propped up against it while Jack readied dinner. Thankfully, she had talked Jack into cloth diapers, and the twins were now wearing meticulously tied cloth diapers, their onesies a bit too big for them, leaving Rhys laughing when she tried to wrestle with their daughter.

"I don't think she likes clothes," He said, moving to help her by wiggling his cybernetic finger in his daughter's face, who was absolutely amazed, staying still, watching and listening to the quiet hum as he moved it.

"She probably doesn't like fabric on her feet," She answered with a smile, watching as the tiny hands reached up, grabbing Rhys's finger. "I was the same way as a baby."  
"You still are," He teased, wrapping his left arm around her waist, planting a gentle kiss on the side of her forehead when she finally zipped up the red-heart onesie. Jack, of course, had prepared for either gender, as did Rhys - there was no shortage of baby clothes.

"I didn't ask to be attacked like this," She feigned offense, grinning at him. "I don't mind shoes, actually. I just prefer being barefoot on Pandora. It makes me feel closer to the planet," She explained turning the girl over to her stomach, Rhys letting out an audible gasp. "It's okay," She reassured, moving onto the boy, "They're not like humans, they're tinier, but far more developed in terms of muscles and brain activity. Human-wise, they'd be around three months, so they start their tummy time now," She explained, sliding the Hyperion yellow dinosaur onesie on him with ease, smiling when he cooed excitedly at her. "You're gonna be a mama's boy, aren't you?" She whispered to her son in a sweet tone, Rhys chuckling when the boy giggled excitedly. "We do have to decide on her name, though, Rhysie."  
"I know," He answered, crouching down so he was eye-level with the tummy-down girl. "I still think Annalise is a good one," He said, wiggling his cybernetic finger at her, smiling when she aggressively wiggled her tiny arms at him, cooing excitedly, her brown and grey eyes twinkling in childish delight. 

She hummed, picking the boy up when he held his hands out to her, giving her a toothless grin. "I like it, too," She smiled at Rhys, carrying her son over to the organized area of baby clothes, diapers, and toys, picking up a blue pacifier, holding it up to his mouth. He curiously stared at it, before opening his mouth to his mom, gladly taking the rubber nipple, giving it a gentle suck. Once he was sated and relaxed in her arms, she grabbed a red one for Annalise, smiling when Rhys walked over to her, holding their daughter, who was just _fascinated_ with his cybernetic finger. "I think she loves your arm more than you, Baby," She teased, earning a chuckle from him.

"Maybe, she's very entertained by it," He agreed, pulling his finger away from her tiny grip, both of them sharing a troubled glance when her bottom lip trembled, a sniffle coming from her. "Oh no, shhh, don't cry," He whispered, nearly panicking as he quickly took the pacifier from Adelia, holding it to Annalise's mouth, but she refused it, a faint whimper coming from her. 

"I think she likes your finger more, Rhysie," She said, reaching her free hand out to carefully rub her daughter's cheek, smiling when her bottom lip stilled, her heterochromatic eyes meeting her mother's, a grin on her chubby face. 

"I think she likes _you_ more," He mumbled in defeat, handing her off to Adelia reluctantly. 

"She'll get better in time," She answered, holding one baby in each arm. "They are technically newborns," She reminded him with a warm smile, standing on her tiptoes to give his cheek a gentle kiss. "And, I can really see Annalise being a daddy's girl, just look at how fascinated she is with you already," She added with a grin. "I love you."

He huffed, his cheeks dusting a light pink at her kiss, longing to kiss her lips, but he couldn't right now - or at least, not in the way he wanted to, not with her holding the babies. "I love you," He responded sincerely, though he still retained his pouty face. 

"I know what you want," She stated with a playful wink, setting the yawning boy down in his extra-baby-proofed crib - Jack said he 'didn't want to take any risks on him getting his head stuck -, before taking the pacifier from Rhys once again, holding it up to her own mouth while Annalise and Rhys watched in amusement. Taking the pacifier in her mouth, she gave it a few sucks, grinning when her daughter threw her little hands up in excitement, now wanting it from her mother, which she complied with, setting the pacifier in her mouth.

"Never in a million years would I have ever thought I'd see _you_ suck on a pacifier," Rhys teased, watching as Annalise cooed happily, sucking on her rubber nipple the same as her brother did at first.

"It's a fact that children want whatever their parents are 'eating' currently," She responded with a wink, setting her down in the other extra-baby-proofed crib, before swaddling her. Once she was settled in and dozing off, she moved back to her son, who was already knocked out on the blanket, a quiet giggle coming from her, but nevertheless, she swaddled him all the same. "Just wait until you're eating and she demands a bite of whatever it is you're eating," She added on, moving to rub Rhys's bare chest. Both men had practically stripped when they came in - neither one intended on leaving for at least a month, and that was fine with her -, while she changed to the red shirt Rhys adored on her, wanting to be comfortable more than anything. Moving her arms around his neck, she gave him a sweet, passionate kiss on the lips, a faint gasp coming from her when he returned her sweet kiss with an aggressively loving one of his own, his hands wrapping around her waist, holding her protectively to him.

"God, Addy, I love you," He whispered out to her, his left hand moving to cup her cheek, his warm thumb grazing along her skin.

She beamed up at him, her cheeks dusting a light red, "And I love you, Rhysie," She responded sweetly, her head pressing against his hand lightly for a brief moment, before grabbing his hand with hers, leading him toward the kitchen. She didn't want to wake the twins up right now, and she knew, if she didn't stop, things may have escalated between them, and she wasn't in any shape to take that right now. It'd be at least a month before she was ready again.

"Got 'em to sleep, Kitten?" Jack asked, turning the fire off of one of the burners, letting the pot sit, shimmering with a lid on it.

"Yeah, John fell asleep a lot faster than Annalise," She said with a smile, taking her usual seat on the stool, watching as he tensed, but relaxed. They had agreed, if it was a boy, they'd name him after, well, Jack, or well, Jack before he was Jack, but to hear his original name being spoken through her lips made him feel vulnerable, but this was what he wanted. He wanted his son to live in his legacy, something he couldn't do for Angel, and this time, he wouldn't mess up.

"Annalise, huh?" He mused, fixing her bowl of vegetable stew on rice, setting it down in front of her, before fixing his own. He could cook like he was in a five-star restaurant, but he really didn't see the point. If he wanted that, he could just go to eat on his casino and not mess up his kitchen. Cooking typical, homecooked meals always sounded far better to him, anyway. Taking his usual seat across from her, he watched as she blew on her spoon, his face softening at the sight of the circles under her eyes. She'd barely slept the last week and even less before then, but damn, she still looked damn good to him. Rhys stayed quiet, waiting for a smartass remark that never came, quietly fixing his own bowl of dinner after Jack, taking his seat back next to her. "I like it, it fits," Jack finally said, making Rhys choke on a bite of his food. "I know it's spicy, but it ain't that friggin spicy, Kiddo."

"N-no," Rhys said through his coughs, Adelia rubbing his back lightly, patting it a bit. "I just didn't expect a compliment from _you_ ," He finally admitted, clearing his throat when Adelia giggled, glancing over at Jack.

"I'm not _always_ a jackhole - heh, get it? -, Cupcake, you know that," Jack teased, "Besides, I'm technically her other father, aren't I?"  
"I suppose in a sense," She piped up before Rhys could answer. "Just like Rhys would be for John." He nodded at that, but said nothing, going back to his stew quietly. It didn't necessarily bother him, however, what did bother him, was the sluggish way she was eating. That 'bother' only grew when she finished half her bowl. "I'm full," She said, setting her spoon down. She _was_ full, probably because she'd been puking her guts up the last four months. She couldn't eat nearly as much as she used to and had opted to eat soups nonstop. Solid foods - like rice - filled her up much faster than she expected.

"That wasn't a lot of food," Rhys mumbled, setting his own spoon down to glance at her.

"It's all I can eat," She stated. 

"Go take a nap, Honey," Jack piped up, leaving Rhys staring at him open-mouthed, his heterochromatic eyes watching as she gave him a knowing smile before getting to her feet, quietly making her way to the kitchen.

"You used to be so anal about her eating, what gives?" Rhys asked, continuing his dinner.

"She ate soup for four friggin' months, Rhysie. She isn't gonna go back to eating solid foods or carbs like she was for a while," He answered, working on his own bowl. "Besides, didn't ya see how tired she was? She needs sleep more than food."

Rhys stayed quiet, setting his spoon down in the empty bowl now, staring down at it. Jack was right, Adelia was exhausted, and he could see it. She was no doubt worrying about Alex and Timothy, too, but she was acting fine - as usual. "She really does," He finally agreed quietly, shifting a glance to Jack. "Do you think they're okay?"

"Timtam isn't a pussy, he's fine," Jack responded, finishing up his own bowl. "They'll pop in any minute now, I'm sure of it." Rhys nodded hopefully, both men staying quiet while Jack stood up, collecting the dirty dishes. 

Except, they didn't pop up right away. Not for another few hours, and when they did, Tim was bloodied and Alex wasn't far off, both of them holding several wounds which - luckily - had all mostly healed fairly quickly. Hearing the aggressive banging on the door, Adelia nearly jumped out of her skin, cradling both of the twins strategically while they sucked on her nipples hungrily, paying no mind to the noises, she stood up, shuffling sleepily over to the door. Nudging the lock disengage button with her elbow, she turned, sitting back on the couch with a loud yawn, the twins had woken her and Jack up not too long ago, needing to eat. He could've gone back to sleep, but he wanted to ensure she didn't hurt herself, letting Rhys sleep this time - mostly due to the fact that Rhys got up with her last time. Normally, she'd look to see who it was, since very few people had access to the upper-levels of Helios, but she knew, just from the way he knocked, it was Alex.

Once the door swung open, Jack took his seat next to her again, having spent the last few minutes cleaning up any leftover mess from dinner. "Jesus friggin' Christ," Jack mumbled out while she sleepily stared up at the pair of males, her eyes widening at the sight of all the blood. Timothy was covered in several bulletholes, his clothes bloodied and battered, arm slung over Alex's shoulder, being led with ease, while Alex looked no better - his arm was frozen in tight ice, preventing him from moving it until it thawed, his forehead bloodied and scraped, indicated he took at least one headshot or blunt for trauma to his head, his clothes were bloodied similar to Timothy's, just not as severe. "What the hell happened?" He asked, watching when the pair collapsed in front of them, both of them heaving exhaustedly.

"A-Aurelia," Timothy managed to breathe out, his heterochromatic eyes glancing at Alex, who looked far worse than him - at least in his opinion -, watching as he shifted in and out of consciousness. "She s-surprised us, grabbed Alex a-and froze his a-arm," He managed to stammer out, eyes shifting over to Adelia, who stood up, shuffling off to the bedroom with the twins. They were finished feeding, she could put them to bed and tend to Alex and Timothy. Moments later, she pulled her nightgown's sleeves up - she changed after the first time they woke her and Rhys up, wanting to have fast access to her breasts -, kneeling down to touch Alex's frozen arm.

"Goddammit," Jack murmured, gritting his teeth. Of course Aurelia would do that, she would do anything if it meant a good payday. Seeing her move toward her, he reached out, "Honey, don't-" He started, reaching over to grab her, however, before he could stop her, she touched the ice, a very faint glow coming from her hand before it shattered, revealing a dark purple arm underneath it. 

"I'm not doing anything else," She answered, picking up Alex's arm, looking at it closely. He was an Eridian, if he lost it, he'd just grow it back over the course of a few months, but, from the looks of it, it was just lightly covered in frostbite, despite the harsh appearance coming from it. He should be able to heal from that easily. "Tim, how are you?" She asked, moving away from Alex, her hands running across his chest, the jealousy and possessive feelings from Jack creeping up her spine, but she ignored it, feeling for any holes left, but all of them were healed, except for one on his abdomen. 

"Ah," He hissed, his body flinching from her touch.

"Hold still," She demanded, glancing at Jack who let out a loud, bothered sigh. He didn't appreciate her caressing Tim like that, but he knew, ultimately, she picked him and not Tim when she had plenty of chances to. Moving down to his knees, he pressed his arms down on his doppelganger's shoulders, holding him firm while her finger fished into the hole, visibly cringing at his yell of pain, before it quickly subsided, the bullet clattering to the ground and the wound already healing. 

"So goddamn loud, you better not have friggin' woke the babies," Jack warned to Tim, who just pitifully stared at Adelia for help.

"Leave him alone, Jack. You remember how bad it was for your shoulder, don't you?" She defended, moving her attention back to Alex, flipping him over carefully, her hands patting along the holes. Since he was in and out of consciousness, she had to go off of assumptions and visual clues. Jack grumbled under his breath, releasing his grip on his twin, nearly having a stroke when she pulled Alex's shirt up. He had to remind himself that Alex was like a son to her and nothing more, no matter how hard it was. 

"Mom," Alex wheezed out, his purple hand reaching out to grab her arm, stilling her. "I'm sorry."  
"No, shhh," She cooed to him, moving her hand to cup his cheek. "It's okay, you're going to be okay," She whispered to him, not seeing any visible wounds on his body, but plenty of slowly healing holes. He'd clearly healed Timothy before himself, which meant, the trauma to his head was probably severe. Glancing up at the glowering Jack, she shrugged off his glare. She'd deal with it later. "I need a warm, damp washcloth and bandages, please." Saying nothing, he sauntered off to the bathroom, coming back moments later with what she requested, plus a first aid kit. "Help me lift his head," She stated, glancing at Jack pleadingly. He bit back the jealousy, kneeling down to pick up the bloodied head of his assumed son, relaxing at that realization. It was true, he even had called him dad once or twice recently - mostly on instinct, but still -, and, quite frankly, he did remind him of himself. He had no right to be jealous, she clearly wasn't interested in Timothy, so why was he jealous? He snapped out his thoughts when she brushed his hand with the washcloth, carefully wiping the blood up, his heart pounding in his ears, watching as she meticulously dabbed around the giant cut in his forehead, being mindful not to prod it much. Once his head was cleaned, she opened the medkit, wrapping his head slowly. He thought back to the time he almost died. Would she have cared for him like this? Probably so, after all, she did start his transitioning then. Was that any different than now? "We need to get him washed off and in bed," She finally said, breaking Jack out of his watchful gaze. "Tim," She said, turning to look at the other male, his face swollen and bruised severely, but he was more conscious than Alex was. "You need to wash off, come with me," She said, standing up slowly while Jack shifted his hold on Alex, struggling to lift him up, but managing to do so. He was surprisingly lighter than he expected, given Alex was a few inches taller than him. Timothy stood up shakily, stumbling a bit, but followed her to the spare bathroom. Jack, on the other hand, carried Alex off to their bedroom, being as soundless as possible, shutting the bathroom door behind him as quietly as he could. 

Adelia started the shower for him, undoing the clips on his vest, helping him shrug off some of his layers. "I'm not bathing you, but I'll help you get some of this off of you," She stated outright, her cheeks flushing at the sight of Timothy shirtless. He looked just like Jack, only, his scars weren't as severe as Jack's were. 

"I don't expect you to, Adelia," He mumbled sheepishly, his own cheeks flushed at her staring. But her staring had other motives, she was browsing to see if she'd missed any more bullet wounds on him, thankful when she didn't see any. Brushing past him, she turned the water on, holding her hand under it.

"I'd say take off your pants, but I think Jack would have an aneurysm," She joked with a slight laugh, earning a flustered laugh in response.

"I don't go commando like he does," He sheepishly admitted, his cheeks flaring at her comment, but he pulled his blood and dirt soaked jeans down, revealing black, pinstripe boxers, both of them holding a similar, flushed face about it while she tried her best not to glance at him. Jack would literally have a stroke if he knew. He flushed even more when she reached up, her fingers easily disengaging the clips on his mask, having done it many, many times in the past with Jack, setting it down on the sink behind her.

"Sit, I'll rinse your hair," She finally said, her nerves calming down. He nodded, his face still beet red as he hesitantly sat down, wincing a bit from the warm water hitting his sore body, his heterochromatic eyes watching her as she leaned up to grab the detachable showerhead, blushing furiously at the sight. He'd never had a mother that actually gave a damn about him, and now, someone Alex considered _his_ mother was helping him out. He let out a quiet groan, feeling her fingers lightly massaging his scalp, a small smile on her face as she softly combed the blood and dirt out, turning the head off soon after to grab some of Jack's shampoo, squeezing a small amount into his head, working the lather through his brown and grey locks, her smile only growing when he groaned again, his eyes closing from how good it felt. "Does Alex not do this?" She mused playfully, massaging his scalp lightly.

"H-he does," He breathed out, enjoying the soft touch. "He's just r-rougher," He admitted.

"He wasn't shown a gentle touch by his mother either," She finally spoke softly. "I was the closest thing."

"He doesn't really talk about her much," He mumbled, groaning again when she combed through his hair again.

"I don't blame him, she was horrible to him," She stated, picking the showerhead up again, turning it back on to a light pressure setting, "Tilt your head back, sweetie," She said the nickname without thinking, gingerly combing her fingers through his hair when he obeyed, washing the shampoo out with ease, his cheeks flushed a bright pink, a low groan coming from him again. "There," She finally added a few minutes later with a smile. "Your hair is clean and it washed most of the blood and grime off of your back, let me," She paused, standing up to grab a washcloth from the shelf above the toilet, handing it back to him. "I'll leave you to it," She smiled at him, bending down to pull a towel out from below the sink, setting it on the heated towel rack for him.

"T-thank you," He murmured sheepishly, his cheeks still flaring a bright crimson. She did have a strong, motherly aura around her. So gentle and caring. Something he had longed to feel for many years, and now that he had, he wanted more. He turned to watch as she quietly shut the door behind her, leaving him alone in the warm bathroom. 

Making her way to their bedroom, she quickly glanced at Annalise and John, smiling at their sleeping forms, thankful they slept deep, or they just didn't care about anything happening. Either one was fine with her. Opening the door quietly, she shut it behind her just as quickly, her hands rubbing along Jack's tensed shoulders, feeling him relax under her touch, her eyes purposely staring at Jack and not the near-naked Alex in the tub. "Just coming to see if you needed help, Daddy," She whispered against his ear, giving the nape of his neck a gentle kiss.

"I think I got it," He murmured to her, a grin on his face when she peppered his back in gentle kisses, her hands massaging his shoulders slightly. "Got Timtam all bathed?"  
"I washed his hair, he's doing the rest," She answered honestly, enjoying his scent of burnt pine and spice.

He hummed in acknowledgment, dropping the soapy washcloth against the tub, his hands moving to grab the showerhead, washing off the barely conscious Alex. "As much as I love the attention, Kitten, Daddy's busy," He purred to her, smiling when she reluctantly pulled away.

"I know," She whispered against his ear, pulling her hands from him, turning to grab two towels from under the sink, handing him one when he turned the water off.

"Stand for me, Kiddo," He said to Alex, getting off of his knees, grabbing the other's arms, yanking him up with ease, taking a towel from her with his right hand, drying him off quickly. 

"I appreciate you doing this," She said, giving him a gentle kiss on his cheek, his grin turning cocky when Alex shakily, stepped out, his arm reaching out to grab Adelia's, steadying himself against Jack and her. 

"Well," He started, watching as she guided the two of them to the toilet, his heterochromatic eyes taking in the sight of her drying his hair carefully. "I guess I gotta admit he _is_ like a son," He finally said, his arms wrapping around her from behind, hands perched on Alex's shoulders, keeping him upright while his chest pressed against her back. "Plus, it makes ya happy," He murmured against her ear, chuckling when her body trembled slightly from his smooth voice, her body flooding in goosebumps. It wasn't a lie, what he said. Alex had grown on him considerably, despite his random spike of jealousy earlier. Considering he was now mostly, wide-awake, he realized how stupid it was for him to be jealous and that feeling was long gone - it was just a sleep-induced emotion, or at least, to him.

"How're you doing, Alex?" She asked when he groaned, his body wavering slightly.

"Tired," He mumbled, falling forward, his head resting against her stomach. She glanced at Jack over her shoulder, who just shrugged, having lost his grip briefly. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect Lydia, Mom," He sleepily slurred.

"No, none of that, shhh," She reassured him, her fingers combing through his black hair slowly, brushing it back. "It's okay, I'm not mad. I'm just glad you're okay."  
"Who's Lydia?" Jack asked quietly against her ear, his arms moving, from around her to pick him up.

"His twin sister," She answered just as softly, following behind him, pulling the blankets down from the bed when they entered the room. "I think I told you a tiny bit about her, she had mild brain damage on her motor skills and she wasn't a Siren. She didn't inherit our quick healing either, so I spent a lot of my time healing her until the uprising. When that happened, I saved him and her both, but," She paused, tucking Alex in once Jack laid him down.   
" _Oh_ ," was all he could muster out, vaguely recalling that. Once she had him tucked in, he turned to see a very naked Timothy standing in the doorway, fidgeting as he held up his towel.

"I uh... I need clothes," He mumbled, blushing furiously under Jack's stare, before watching his twin brush past him, a slight sound of rummaging coming from the other bedroom while Alex babbled 'I'm sorry' over and over to Adelia.

"Shhh, it's okay, sweetie," She reassured him, gripping his hand tightly in hers. "It's okay, it will be okay," She cupped his cheek with her free hand, wiping away the tears as they fell. After a few seconds, Jack came back in with a pair of black, silk pajama pants, handing them over to Timothy.

"I'm so sorry, mom," Alex choked out to her, his body trembling.

"Shhh," She cooed to him, her thumb still wiping away the tears as they came, her other hand reassuringly clenching his, paying no mind to the two behind her.

"I want these back," Jack whispered to Timothy before leaving the room with him in tow, only, Jack headed to his bedroom to pick up his crying son, shushing him, rocking him in his arms while Timothy stood there, watching the gentle side of Jack coming through, but when Jack shot him a glare, he hurriedly shuffled into the bathroom, pulling the pajama bottoms up quickly, his hands rubbing over the mark similar to the one on his twin's back, only his was on his chest. 

He paused, hearing Adelia's soft voice coming from the room, singing a soft lullaby to Alex, barely able to make out the words as he slunk back into the bedroom, listening quietly. Within seconds, Alex relaxed, his hand growing limp in hers before she set it down, her fingers lightly wiping away the excess tears on his face while she continued to sing to him, slowly backing away when she finished the song. He stood in awe at her voice, so whimsical and gentle, his heterochromatic eyes gazing at her. "He should sleep through, but if he doesn't, come wake me up," She whispered to him, patting his shoulder lightly. "Get some rest, Tim."

"O-okay, t-thank you, Adelia," He stammered out sheepishly, watching as she closed the door behind her again. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but he couldn't grasp the slightest way to word things. 

Easing back into her bedroom, she smiled at Jack cooing at John, who babbled happily after his fit, a toothless grin on his face. "You got him to hush quickly," She whispered to him, taking their son from him, his hands already pawing at her breasts, wanting more dinner. "Did somebody not get enough dinner?" She cooed to him, complying to the baby's demand by sliding the strap of her gown down, feeling him latch almost immediately to her rosy bud, eagerly sucking away.

"He just wanted attention," Jack murmured back to her, giving her lips a rough, quick kiss, smirking when he felt her return it.

She hummed in both amusement and happiness from their sudden kiss, gazing down at the sleeping Annalise. She knew that John would ultimately eat more, he was larger than her, but it still brought her peace to know both babies were attaching to the three of them quickly, especially after the incident earlier. After a few minutes, John relaxed against her, giving her nipple a few, sleepy sucks, drifting off to sleep while he ate. Carefully, she unlatched him, replacing her nipple with his rubber one, which he gladly took in his sleep, Jack watching in admiration as she swaddled him effortlessly, pulling her strap back up with a yawn of her own.   
"Let's go back to bed, Baby," She whispered to him, her hand running over his arm as she brushed past him, climbing into the middle of the bed. Without hesitation, Rhys turned, embracing her in his arms as soon as she laid down next to him, leaving Jack to slide in behind her, his arm loosely wrapping around her waist.

And within minutes, they all had dozed off.


	33. Chapter 33

The next month came and went, the twins looking more and more like normal, human babies in terms of size, their bodies always wiggling around happily when they were set down on the floor, attempting to crawl but not being able to do much beyond a few squirms, however, they were getting better - when they weren't in someone's arms. Annalise was undoubtedly growing spoiled to be the center of attention, especially with Timothy practically always carrying her around, gushing over her when Rhys or Adelia wasn't holding her (mostly because she'd stare at him with a toothless grin and babble incoherently at him until she got picked up). Alex wasn't making much progress, but he was slowly coming around, his arm still purple, but not as badly - he was healing, just slowly. Timothy had explained that Alex used a lot of energy healing him after he got caught off guard by Aurelia, taking the blunt from the damage for Tim, which honestly, didn't surprise Adelia as much as it did Jack and Rhys. She knew the night they stumbled in that Alex was running on adrenaline alone, just based on how he collapsed after and the slurred tone, however, she was confident in a full recovery once he got stronger. Jack wasn't happy about Timothy living with them, although he didn't vocally say anything, he'd just shoot a glare whenever he'd walk in on her breastfeeding them, promptly making him turn around and leave the room. It'd been a month since Annalise and John were born, which meant Rhys would be heading back to Promethea soon - something neither of them were looking forward to - but she reassured him she'd pop by with them from time to time with Jack in tow. The three of them were mostly used to the erratic feeding schedule of the twins, both Jack and Rhys taking turns staying up with her while she fed them in a sleep-induced haze.

There were wanted posters plastered across the galaxy for Aurelia after the attempted kidnapping, and Jack was certain she retreated into hiding, building up her alliances with someone else to plan another attack. Adelia, though, wasn't worried; she'd be able to use her abilities again, soon, and that meant she could heal Alex, or at least, give him enough to heal himself. 

_**Now... Helios, Jack's Office (11:45 AM)** _

Jack and Adelia were moving around his office in their usual, foxtrotting fashion, a smile on her face as she laughed in delight, keeping up with him as if they had continued where they left off, a chuckle of his own coming from him, his grip on her tightening just slightly, enjoying the music echoing around the walls of his office - and to their surprise, John and Annalise seemed to not mind either, cooing to each other, their eyes every so often flicking over to two of their parents, their tiny hands flailing in delight from their carriers.

"It's been far too long - "  
"- Since we've danced together," She finished for him, a warm smile creeping across his masked face, wrapping his arm fully around her waist, pulling her flush against him when the music stopped, a delighted hum coming from her when he moved his other hand, intertwining their fingers together.

"God, I friggin' love you so much, Adelia," He breathed out to her in a hushed tone, his lips lowering close to hers.

"I love you, too, Jack," She whispered back, her cheeks flushing when she met him half-way, both of them sharing a heated kiss, a faint moan escaping her when he asserted dominance over her, his tongue sliding into her mouth. She gave it a gentle suck, rubbing it with her own before breaking their kiss, panting lightly, her face a bright crimson while her grey eyes stared up at him.

"I want you so badly," He murmured to her, nosing her neck lightly, peppering it in gentle kisses, each one eliciting a quiet moan.

"I-I know," She whispered, biting her bottom lip slightly. She wanted him too, but she couldn't, not yet. She wasn't fully healed yet. "Soon," She breathed out, a gasp coming from her when he nipped at the middle of her neck, her body trembling against his. "S-stop," She whined out, her body pressing against his, wanting his touch. It'd been a while since he or Rhys was intimate with her, and between the two men being lustful, she wasn't far behind. Every time she moved a certain way or wore a certain piece of clothing, both of their lusts for her would flare up her spine, arousing her nearly immediately, and now was no different, but she knew better. Sex too soon could extend the healing time on the muscles Alex had to cut through.

He groaned, yet obeyed her wishes, his hand moving from around her waist to cup her chin, tilting her head toward his. "When you're healed," He whispered out, "I'm giving you the time of your life. I'm going to _ruin_ you."  
"Don't you always?" She retorted with a sly grin, her cheeks staying dusted a light pink. Before he could open his mouth with a witty remark, the twins started sniffling, whining loudly, a smile coming from her. "I think it's their lunchtime," She whispered to him, slowly moving away from him, her hands pulling from his as she hummed, turning her back to him, fingers undoing the buttons on her shirt quickly. He couldn't prevent himself from shivering at the sudden removal of her warmth, watching as she sat in the chair in front of his desk, unhooking her bra, watching quietly when her swollen breasts bounced out. Making his way over to the two carriers on his desk, he unhooked John for her while she helped Annalise latch, a smile on her face when she took John from him, his son latching on quickly as always, his green and grey eyes peeking up at his mother while Annalise's brown and grey eyes looked around the room, eventually stopping on her mother as well.

"I gotta say, Kitten, we make some friggin' cute babies," He whispered to her, kissing her forehead before leaning down further, giving each baby a tiny kiss on their forehead. Even if Annalise wasn't his by blood, as far as he was concerned, she was still his daughter, and Rhys clearly felt the same toward John. Maybe it was their bond, but neither male seemed to care, more focused on Adelia's happiness and health than who was the father for which baby. Although, the longer the time sped by, the more John looked like him as a child, while Annalise looked more like her mother, black hair already covering her head while John held brown hair.

"Yeah," She finally agreed, smiling at him when he sat in his yellow chair, booting up his computer for the first time in a month. "We do." They sat in silence for about thirty minutes, the only sound coming from Jack's fingers while he browsed and answered emails, his new assistant coming in once or twice to drop off a stack of papers, saying nothing to the breastfeeding Adelia either time, refusing to even acknowledge her. "A new one?" She mused after the second time, staring at Jack.

"Yup," He said, signing off on the paperwork, setting it aside for later. "He's a tightass, but it's better than having to reprogram the whole friggin' database."

"All done?" She asked softly to Annalise, who released her nipple, babbling a bit to her mother, a few drops of milk running down her chin. John was larger than her and needed much more milk than his sister, but that was no surprise to her - most boys were larger than the females and required more. Shifting a bit, she moved to stand up, stopping when Jack walked around, picking the tinier baby up out of her arms, wiping her mouth with a spit-up washcloth he'd brought from home - a Hyperion yellow, silk, absorbent fabric -, playing peekaboo with her once he reattached the clips on her carrier, a small smile creeping on Adelia's face while she silently watched him play with the giggling baby. He was doing a lot better than she anticipated him to, especially with all the nightmares he had leading up to their birth. He smiled at the small baby, fixing the white and red floral onesie she and Rhys dressed her in, wiggling his finger at her, chuckling when she turned her nose to it. 

"She's fascinated with Rhysie's cybernetic arm," He finally said, moving back to his seat, his fingers back on the keyboard, finishing up his response. "Doesn't even like mine."

"She's a curious one, that's for sure," Adelia agreed, feeling John unlatch slowly, burping, and smiling up at his mother, a quiet giggle coming from her. "This one, though, is a mama's boy," She cooed to him, tickling his chin, a grin on her face when he giggled, Jack watching in silent admiration. Standing up, she buckled John into his carrier, adjusting her breasts into her bra when the doors opened again, Jack's assistant marching up to the desk, paying her no mind again while she buttoned up her top, humming to herself.

"We'll be going to lunch, Jesse," Jack said, his heterochromatic eyes glancing over at the blonde man, watching as he adjusted his glasses, giving a nod.

"Of course, Sir. Ma'am," He finally said, giving a respectful nod to Adelia, before walking back out with the signed paperwork in hand.

She hummed in amusement, watching Jesse's back while he walked away. "I'll miss Blake's tomfoolery, but Jesse seems much more qualified," She admitted, picking up John's carrier, setting it into the attachable stroller Jack no doubt paid a fortune for, securing it while he did the same for Annalise's carrier.

"He is," He agreed, tugging on the carriers slightly to make sure they were both secure, readjusting John's so it was more secure. "Double the pay, though."  
"Well, at least he seems to know what he's doing," She mused, walking over to the hidden fast travel, watching as it came out of the floor with a quiet buzz. She punched in Promethea's code, smiling when Jack joined her with the twins, entering the code, both of them dematerializing. She'd bring them to the cafeteria on Helios one day, but for now, it was safer on Promethea. Most of the guards knew of her being a Siren, plus, Lorelei and Zer0 were never far from her reach if needed. Zer0 didn't agree with the punishment she gave to Lilith, but he couldn't argue. She could've killed Lilith easily, instead of sparing her, plus, Pandora was far more peaceful now than it had ever been - despite the broken alliance, Jack never turned his attention on Sanctuary or the other Vault Hunters unless they started it first (which was extremely rare, nobody wanted to deal with the new and improved Loader bots).

"Baby!" Rhys exclaimed in excitement when she materialized, his arms wrapping around her in a tight embrace, giving her a sweet, loving kiss, grinning against her lips when she returned it.

"Hey, Baby," She smiled at him, her hands brushing along his chest, fixing his vest with a smile before Jack materialized next to her with the twins.

"Hello, my little blessings," He cooed to them, getting an eye-roll from Jack at the baby talk he was giving to them. "Hello, Jack," He finally said, unclipping Annalise from her carrier when she started to pout and whine, her hands reaching out to him when he pulled away. Picking her up, he cradled her in his flesh arm, wiggling his right, cybernetic finger to her, chuckling when she giggled in delight, tiny hands grasping at the metal finger.

As Adelia was undoing John, Lorelei burst into the room, announcing her presence very loudly with a dramatic sigh, "Your frogurt place is out of dill pickle flavor, until tomorrow, Rhys. I don't know how anyone eats that flavor, bloody disgusting," She said, stopping when she spotted Jack and Adelia standing there, Rhys with a baby in his arms and a boy in hers, adjusting the Hyperion yellow, duck patterned onesie on him. "Aw, hell, I didn't think ya were ready to deliver, look at them little buggers," She gushed, walking over to them, leaving Jack pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"Lorelei! Watch your language!" Rhys chastised, cradling Annalise close to his chest. 

"Ah, shit, sorry mate," She paused, "Sorry," She mumbled sheepishly, running her hand through her blue hair, sauntering over to them, holding her hands up in surrender at Jack and Adelia's harsh stares. "I'm not gonna hurt 'em," She said honestly, Rhys letting out an exasperated sigh. "I just want to look." Adelia relaxed her grip on John just slightly, revealing his bi-colored eyes scanning around the room curiously, babbling absolute nonsense in an excited manner. Annalise, on the other hand, cringed when Lorelei approached, whining a bit at the sight, her tiny hands flailing a bit, releasing their grip on Rhys's hand, before she started wailing, holding her hands out to Adelia. "Ah, I didn't even do anything," She pouted, moving away when she handed John off to Jack, taking the wailing baby from Rhys.

"Shhh, it's okay," She cooed to her daughter, moving away from the group, singing a soft lullaby to her in the distance, leaving Jack glowering at Lorelei, saying nothing. If he did, it certainly wouldn't be child friendly, and he made a genuine effort to not let cusswords slip around his kids.

"I wouldn't take it personal," Rhys mumbled out, rubbing the back of his head. "She's pretty shy," he added on. It wasn't a lie, Annalise was extremely standoffish to Timothy at first, but warmed up to his spoiling not long after.

Once Annalise finally settled down, she quietly walked back over to them, crouching down to unzip the diaper bag Rhys packed and Jack double packed for them, pulling out the red pacifier, holding it to a sniffling Annalise's mouth, smiling when she took it, her pale face red from her wailing, her eyes flicking over to Jack, making grabby hands at him while John made grabby hands back at Adelia, truly living up to her mama's boy remark. They shared a glance before switching the babies, Adelia and Lorelei watching as Jack held Annalise on his shoulder, rubbing her back lightly, soothing the baby to sleep while John cooed, glancing around the room, his eyes stopping when they reached Rhys, the young boy clearly not knowing who's attention he wanted more. 

"Anyways," Adelia said, handing John off to Rhys when he babbled excitedly, holding his tiny hands out to his other father. "We just came to eat lunch, we won't be staying long. I might stop by Maude's if you're up for it," She added the last part in, smiling as Rhys wiggled his cybernetic fingers at John, who excitedly giggled, grabbing his finger with a tight grip.

"Sure, she popped by earlier, looking for you," Rhys said, smiling down at John. "Something about Marie needing something, she was near hysterical."

"Hysterical?" She questioned.

"Oi, Rhys, that's what I came to tell you," Lorelei finally piped in, having forgotten the whole reason she came in here. "Aside from the bloody frogurt thing. Marie ran off somewhere, they can't find her."

"And you think to tell me that _now?_ " He questioned while Jack pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand.

"Listen, I didn't expect to bloody see babies here, it distracted me," She said with a shrug. "She's probably just throwin' a temper tantrum anyway, I'm goin' back to cleaning out bandits in the slums," and with that, she left, leaving Rhys and Adelia sighing loudly.

"I really don't know how you friggin' tolerate them," Jack said, slowly and carefully setting the still-sleeping Annalise in her carrier, buckling her in as quietly as he could. 

"It took some time," Rhys sheepishly admitted, watching as Adelia rummaged around the diaper bag again, pulling out John's pacifier, holding it over him, grinning when he opened his mouth for it gladly, cooing contently. 

"At least you didn't start throwing out profanities, I could see in your face you wanted to," She teased to Jack, smiling at him, taking John from Rhys.

"I'm not an animal, Kitten," He retorted with a snort, both men watching when she bent over, very obviously staring at her ass in her grey leggings, neither one saying anything. Once the sleepy boy was secured in his carrier, he cooed sleepily, his head nodding a few times, before staying down, his mouth giving a steady, slow sucking motion on the pacifier. She ran her hand through his brown hair with a smile, slowly standing back up. 

"The way you two are staring at my ass says otherwise," She finally retorted once she knew both babies were asleep, Jack letting out a low chuckle while Rhys blushed furiously, rubbing the back of his head, breaking her gaze from her.

"Language, Honey," Jack said to her, shrugging. He wasn't going to argue, he got caught.

"I-I wasn't staring that hard," Rhys mumbled, pouting.

"I was," Jack said, grinning, rolling his eyes when Rhys smacked his arm. "What? I'm not gonna deny it."

"You're both insufferable," She finally responded jokingly with a smile, looking at the two of them. "We have bigger problems than that, though," She glanced at Rhys. Jack had met Maude, Jacob, and Marie once or twice, but nothing more than in passing - he just was never interested in socializing. "I think you should stay here or go back to Helios with our babies," She finally said after a few moments of silence, glancing at Jack. "Marie doesn't know you, and," She paused, glancing at Rhys who just hopelessly shrugged.

"Yeah, yeah, Rhysie is useless as always," He mumbled, ruffling the younger man's head.

"H-hey!" Rhys exclaimed, slapping at Jack's hands. He wanted to argue. To scream that Jack was wrong and he could protect their children. However, he knew Jack was right. Despite the new technology programmed in his head port, eye, and arm, he still would regret hurting someone with a gun. Once Jack released his head, he huffed, trying to fix his hair as best as he could, watching when Jack cupped Adelia's cheek, his free hand on the handle of the stroller.

"I'll go back home, put the kiddos to bed," He said to her softly, but making sure it was loud enough for Rhys to hear it. "Not like I have anything else to do today."  
"We'll let you know when we find her," She responded with a smile, cupping his hand with hers, closing her eyes when he brought his lips down in a surprisingly gentle kiss.

"Be safe. Both of you," He spoke out once he broke their kiss, glancing at Rhys. If something happened to him, it meant something happened to her, and he didn't like that thought.   
"We will," They both responded, Rhys wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her close, while Jack punched in his home code, and within seconds, he and the twins were gone.

"So," Rhys started, his hand caressing her side gradually. "Any idea where to look?"  
"I have a few ideas," She responded, smiling up at him, saying nothing more, but rather, tugging on his hand, leading the way.

* * *

_**An hour later...** _

Rhys collapsed in a chair near a hot dog vendor, letting out a loud groan. "Are you sure she's going to be here?" He asked, his bi-colored, brown eyes gazing over at Adelia, who was still moving around, humming to herself, ignoring all the attention they were getting surprisingly - normally, she hated it, then again, most people on Promethea had seemed to like her more than Helios; the people on Helios just were major kiss-asses to Jack, or at least, that's what he decided. He let out a groan at his throbbing feet, wiggling his toes in his boots. They'd walked all over Promethea and his feet were aching; he wanted to take a cyclone but she said no, that it 'might scare Marie' when they had gone through the slumps - one of Marie's other hiding spots. To his surprise, she didn't seem to be exhausted or hurting at all, despite the walking.

"I'm about seventy percent sure," She responded with a smile. "I'll be back in a moment," She added on, Rhys scrambling to follow her to the Green Diamond Platform, but barely managing to keep up as she went down the escalator, turning sharply to go underneath it, revealing a quietly sobbing Marie, just as she had expected. Nearly giving them away, Rhys backed away from the glance Adelia gave him, shuffling over to sit on the new chair away from them, but not so far he couldn't get to them. "You've given your mother quite a scare," Adelia finally said, squatting down next to the sobbing Marie.

"M-Miss Addy!" Marie exclaimed, nearly jumping out of her skin, her tiny hands wiping away her tears messily. "I thought you forgot about us," She mumbled, sniffling a bit, her hands dropping when Adelia reached out, cupping the dirty face with her soft hands, wiping away the leftover tears.

"No, I'd never forget about you," She reassured with a smile, nearly falling over when the girl pounced at her, hugging her tightly. "Now, tell me what's wrong," She whispered to her, giving the child a tight, reassuring hug.

"Ma and Jacob were being mean," Marie sniffled against Adelia's shirt. 

"Mean how?"  
"They took my bunny you gave me!" She exclaimed, new tears coming to her eyes. "I didn't want them to! I loved that bunny! I'm sorry!" She started to sob, her small hands gripping Adelia's Hyperion yellow, button-up sweater.

"Hey, shhh, it's okay," Adelia whispered to her comfortingly. "I'm sure your mother took it for a good reason," She added on, running her hands through the girl's brown hair. 

"She didn't give me a reason!" She babbled out through her sobs, wiping her face sloppily again. "Jacob ripped its leg off and Ma just took it!"

"Well that wasn't very nice of Jacob," She agreed, gradually standing up, keeping a firm grip on the tiny body on hers, nodding her head at Rhys, who quickly stood up, following next to them. "We'll just have to buy you another one, won't we?" She added with a smile.

"R-really? You're not m-mad?" Marie asked with a shaky voice.

"I said I wasn't, sweetie," Adelia answered with a smile, glancing over at Rhys, who just shrugged. He and Jack were easily the richest people in the universe, a ten-dollar stuffed animal didn't bother him at all. "Are you hungry?"

"N-no," She answered sheepishly, despite her stomach growling loudly. "Maybe a little..." She admitted when Adelia stared at her with an arched brow.

"I think Mister Rhys is hungry, too," She responded with a smile. "And I am too, so let's get something to eat."

"I am very hungry," Rhys finally piped up, his left arm wrapping around Adelia's shoulder. "So hungry, I could eat a horse."

"Mister Rhys! That's not very nice!" Marie exclaimed with a look of horror on her face.

"It's just a saying," Adelia corrected with a giggle, smiling over at the furiously blushing Rhys. 

Once they finished eating, Rhys held onto Marie's legs while she rode on his shoulders, chattering on happily with Adelia, a new Butt Stallion stuffed animal in her hands, resting on his head. Before leaving, she lightly cleaned the girl up in the nearest bathroom, getting the majority of the grime and dirt off of her face. People who passed the three of them shared a confused glance but said nothing while they made their way back to Atlas HQ. "Oh, I almost forgot, let me call Jack and let him know," Adelia finally said, patting her pockets for the mini ECHO Jack had given her so she wouldn't have to tote around a big one. "Ah, I forgot it," She mumbled.

"I got it," Rhys said with a smile, holding his cybernetic arm out to call Jack, his honey-colored eye lighting up when the call connected, revealing Jack in his office still.

"Rhysie, this better be - Oh, hey there, Kitten," Jack started but his tone changed when Adelia peeked over Rhys's arm, giving a small wave.

"I forgot the ECHO," She answered before he could ask, a sly smile on her face. "I set it down when I went to change Annalise before we left and forgot it on the dresser. Anyways, I won't keep you, but we found Marie!"

"That's great, Honey," Jack responded with a smile, Rhys tilting his hand just slightly so Jack could see the tiny girl on his head, playing with the Butt Stallion stuffie. "Is that-"  
"Yes," Rhys answered quickly, chuckling.

"She wouldn't leave the store without it," Adelia added on with a smile. "We're going to bring her to Maude and I'll be on my way back. And, yes, I did eat lunch before you ask."

"I figured you would've," Jack said with a small smile. It wasn't a lie, he finally had her back on a decent eating schedule, and despite her restlessness, she was looking fairly healthy, albeit exhausted, but that was to be expected with newborns. "I left the twins with Timtam," He answered her before she could ask, relief coming across her face. It was their naptime, and if they woke up, he didn't have the means to feed them in his office - all of her pumped milk was in the refrigerator at the house.

"We'll see you soon," She said with a smile, giving a small wave.

"Bye, Mister Grumpy!" Marie piped up, both Rhys and Adelia stifling their laughs when Jack covered his mouth, biting back laughter of his own.

"Bye, Kiddo," Jack responded, hanging up the call soon after, Rhys and Adelia laughing.

"Marie, it's not nice to call someone grumpy," She finally chastised once she finished laughing.

"Well, he is! He never told me his name!" Marie argued back, letting out a 'hmph' about it.

"Marie!" Maude called out when they rounded the corner next to Atlas HQ, the guards moving aside for the three of them.

"Mama!" Marie exclaimed happily, running over to her when Rhys set the girl down, both Adelia and Rhys smiling at each other, holding hands with one another. "I'm sorry I ran off! I was just angry!"

"Hush now, baby! I'm just glad you're okay!" Maude exclaimed back, kneeling down to wipe some dirt Adelia had missed off of her daughter's cheek, embracing the tiny girl snugly. "Oh, thank you for finding my baby," She cried out, tears of joy running down her cheeks when Rhys and Adelia reached them.

"Of course," Adelia responded, giving a comforting smile.

"It was no biggie, you guys are like family," Rhys added on with a childlike grin.

"I knew I could trust you to find her," Maude beamed proudly at Adelia more than Rhys, but he didn't take it to heart; Marie and Jacob were far closer to Adelia than they were to him, and after seeing how she interacted with Marie today, he knew why. She held a lot of motherly traits, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that she was going to be a fantastic mother to their children.

"Marie!" Jacob called out, sniffling as he aggressively wiped away his tears, trying to act tough. "Ya big baby! Why'd you have to run off?" He said, but the relief was present on his face, and Marie just rolled her eyes at her brother.

"'Cause somebody ripped my bunny," She huffed angrily, breaking away from her mother. "But I made Miss Addy buy you one so you don't have to take mine anymore!" She exclaimed, holding out the Butt Stallion stuffed animal out to him, gleaming with happiness when he took it, sheepishly looking up at Adelia and Rhys.

"Thanks for finding Marie, Miss Addy, Mister Rhys," He finally said, clutching the Butt Stallion close to him.

"I fixed your bunny, baby," Maude said soon after, presenting the sewn up bunny to Marie, who just squealed happily, nuzzling it tightly.

Removing her hand from Rhys's, Adelia kneeled down so she was eye-level with Jacob. "Now, Jacob, Marie could've bought anything she wanted today, but she insisted on this for you, so make sure you treasure it," Adelia said with a smile, reaching out to ruffle the blonde hair on his head.

"Yes, Ma'am," He sheepishly responded, blushing furiously at the kindness.

"Maybe next time we surprise your sister with a gift, huh?" Rhys added on, squatting down next to her, to which Jacob nervously nodded, agreeing with a giant grin.

Once Jacob ran off to play with Marie, Maude approached them, giving them both tight hugs when they stood up. "Thank you two so much, you have no idea how worried I was."  
"I can only imagine," Adelia said, returning the hug. Rhys said nothing, but rather, just blinked at the sudden hug, awkwardly giving one back. 

"What do I owe you?" She asked, pulling out a wallet.

"Nothing," They both said, Rhys pushing her wallet back to her.

"As I said, you guys are like family, I'm sure you'd do the same for us," Rhys said, wrapping his arm around Adelia's waist.

"You're darn right I would," Maude agreed before Adelia could say anything else. "You need to bring those cute little babies of yours to me soon! Miss Lorelei was gushing about how cute they were!"

Both of them blushed at the comment, sharing a sweet smile with one another. "We will when they get bigger, Maude. I promise," Adelia said with a smile. "I'll be coming back regularly again though, so if you have any trouble with Marie, please don't hesitate to tell us, she seemed to enjoy spending the day with us."

"I bet she did! She was so sad that you hadn't been around for a few months. I tried to tell her you didn't have a choice but she wouldn't accept it."

"I talked to her about it," She responded with a grin. "She understands I was 'sick'. I wasn't sure how else to explain it since it wasn't really my place."

"Bless your heart," Maude added with a smile. "I'll take my little hellions on home before it gets too much later. Make sure you two stop by soon."  
"We will," Rhys answered her, both of them watching as she ushered the kids to stop playing.

Adelia hummed, glancing up at Rhys. "I probably should head home too, Baby, it is getting late, and I'm sure the babies are getting hungry."

"Yeah," He agreed quietly, staring down at her in admiration once they made their way to the elevator, taking it to his office's floor. "You probably should, or... _We_ could," He stopped talking, moving in front of her, his hands capturing her sides, pinning her against the wall of the elevator while his lips took hers hostage in a heated, loving kiss.

She let out a hushed moan against his lips, her hands finding their way into his hair, returning his heated kiss with a gentle, affectionate one of her own. He pressed himself against her while pulling her flush against him, wanting to be closer, but she stood her ground, breaking their kiss with a sigh, "You two are driving me insane," She whispered to him, her gaze locking on his, hands moving to cup his cheeks. 

"You're driving _me_ insane," He murmured to her lowly, his hands grasping at her hips.

"It's only two more weeks, Rhysie," She purred to him with a sly smile, her thumb grazing along his bottom lip, grinning at his audible groan.

"Two weeks feels like two years," He huffed, resting his forehead lightly against hers. She smirked up at him, taunting him further by giving his bottom lip a slight, gentle nip, giggling at his groan again. "Killing me here, Addy."  
She grinned at how much he sounded like Jack, her grin turning into a smile when she gave him a gentle kiss. "I know it seems like forever, but it'll be over before you know it. Plus, on the bright side, you won't have to deal with my ovulation cycle for three years."

"That oddly sounds punishing but relieving," He joked, smiling down at her. As badly as he wanted her, he understood that he needed to wait, however, the no ovulation cycle did disappoint him slightly - it was always titillating to watch her beg for him with lustful eyes -, but at the same time, it also meant that he'd never have to worry about being over drained once every four months, plus, by that time, the twins would be able to somewhat fend for themselves and not need round-the-clock attention.

She giggled, giving him a playful wink, adjusting her shirt when the elevator doors opened to his office - she never knew who to expect there, especially after they were nearly caught in the elevator the first time -, though, luckily, there was nobody there. "I'll head home, Baby," She said when they stepped into the room, beaming up at him with a loving smile when his arms wrapped around her waist again, pulling her flush against him. 

"I love you," He whispered to her, resting his forehead against hers. He truthfully didn't want her to go, he wanted her to stay with him, but he knew she had to get home to their babies. And Alex. 

"I love you," She murmured back to him, cupping his face with both of her hands, bringing her lips to his in a gentle, passionate kiss; one that he happily returned before pulling away, his bi-colored eyes watching as she punched in their home code, dematerializing with a smile to him.

Once she walked through the door, it was the same old, same old. Timothy was fast asleep on the couch, a sleeping baby in each of his arms. He only woke up when she took the two from him, his mismatched eyes sleepily looking up at her, before she shushed his protests, lulling him back to sleep with a soft lullaby she regularly seemed to sing to him these days - not that he was complaining, and she didn't seem to mind it, given that Alex woke him up regularly. Jack and Rhys were still at their offices, something neither male usually let stand, however, with Tim there, they trusted her to be protected, and she was - Tim was an extremely light sleeper and woke to the softest of noises. After setting the twins in their cradles, she poked her head in to see Alex, making sure he was alright, a smile on her face when his grey eyes met hers. He'd finally progressed to sitting up and moving, but he still had trouble speaking coherently, but that was to be expected, given the horrible head trauma he had - the only reason he was coherent the first night had to be from sheer adrenaline and stubbornness alone, and even then, he wasn't fully lucid. She changed his bandages while he said nothing, his stare full of emotions he wanted to express, but he couldn't get his mouth to say what he needed to say as if it refused to cooperate. His condition had improved, but he seemed to forget how to get his mouth to work, the first few nights of his begging had ended abruptly come the fifth day, the only noises coming from him being screams, grunts, and groans that half-sounded like heavily slurred words - which ultimately led to him not even trying to speak, just using noises to communicate, saving himself from cringing at the sound of his own raspy voice.

"Don't worry, it'll come to you," She reassured, ruffling his hair a bit with a sweet smile when he opened his mouth to speak, getting only a heavily slurred, barely understandable, 'thanks' out, his face cringing at his lack of coherent speaking. "Don't push yourself too hard, Sweetie. You had a really bad wound, I'm surprised you came around this fast." Cupping his hand with hers, she closed her eyes, a light blue glow coming from her grip as she transferred a small bit of her energy to him, hearing him groan out noises in protest. "I'm not giving you a lot, don't worry, I know better," She answered to his grunts, the light dimming a few seconds later. She'd never put herself in jeopardy for him - she knew he wouldn't approve and she'll probably get an earful either way -, only giving him small amounts every once in a while. Since it'd been a month since the incident, her strength had mostly returned, but she knew, when the next two weeks passed, she'd be full strength again and be able to help him out more, whether he approved or not. "I'm going start dinner, I'll bring you your plate as always," She finally said, licking her thumb before wiping an ink smudge off of his chin with a warm smile. "If you can, maybe try to take a bath, it's been a couple of days since you passed out for a while." He just huffed at her, his cheeks flushing at her motherly gesture, she knew he was still working on Anshin things, trashed prototypes were scattered by the garbage bin from him. When he wasn't sleeping, he spent his time trying to work on new shield designs, but he was having a hard time, and his groans of frustrations were very evident. He was running himself ragged trying to stay awake, and she couldn't blame him. He was having frequent nightmares about what she could only assume was what happened with Timothy and Aurelia, maybe littered thoughts of a few repressed memories of his childhood, but she had no way to tell.

Standing up, she closed the door behind her, leaving a crack in case he needed her, her hands softly caressing Timothy's cheek, wiping a small crumb off of it, fingers moving to grip his shoulder. "Tim," She whispered to him, shaking him lightly.

"Mm?" He grunted sleepily, opening a green eye to peer up at her.

"I'm starting dinner. You can go nap in our bed if you want," She said with a smile, seeing him slowly nod, standing up and marching to the master bedroom, his steps staggering each time, legs threatening to give beneath him. It was no surprise he was so tired, given that Alex had been having frequent nightmares, and with Tim's light sleeping, he was often awake, comforting his lover. Once she heard the door click shut, she moved to the kitchen, grabbing the ingredients for what she planned to make tonight - stuffed pork tenderloin with steamed vegetables, humming softly to herself as she began chopping and cleaning the necessary vegetables.

Once the tenderloin was stuffed, she placed it in the pressure cooker, sending it well on its way to being done. She moved her dishes to the sink, washing them silently, her head turning when she heard the door locks disengage, a pissed-off looking Jack walking through the door. "Welcome home, Baby," She called from the kitchen, her eyes watching as he pinched the bridge of his nose, relief already flooding across his features from the sound of her voice. Saying nothing, he kicked his shoes off hastily, his hands pulling his many upper layers off, discarding them on the couch while her attention went back to washing the dishes, a grin creeping across her face at the feel of his arms wrapping around her waist, his chest pressing flush against her back. "Well, hello to you, too, Handsome," She spoke to him, a giggle coming from her at his sudden barrage of kisses on her neck.

"I missed you, Honey," He murmured desperately against her ear, her body shuddering when his hands found their way under her shirt.

"Jack..." She warned, setting down the knife she was washing. She didn't want to accidentally cut herself and give him a heart attack. At least, not again.

"I know," He mumbled, his hands pressing against her stomach, but not moving, giving off the suggestion that he needed skin to skin contact - which he did; he had an absolute shitshow waiting for him in a sudden, pop-up meeting, questioning where Alex had been since there had been radio silence on shield deadlines. He covered for Alex, but not at the cost of a few board members arguing with him, mostly from his excuse of 'he's on vacation on Eden-6, just friggin' spoke to him the other day' - now he had to find replacements. "I just... Need to feel you," He whispered against the nape of her neck, just below her hastily tied up hair, sending tiny bumps across her skin. She hummed in acknowledgment but didn't push for more, her hands washing the knife carefully before setting it down in the clean side, her hands grabbing the drying towel to try her hands, body turning in his arms, facing him. He'd tell her what was on his mind later, she was sure of that, but for right now, he seemed like he just needed to relax. After a few moments of silence with their eyes locked on one another, he finally opened his mouth. "Where's Timtam anyways?"

"I told him to sleep in our bed since Alex is wide awake," She answered, her hands caressing his large, toned arms, giving them a few squeezes, fingers dancing along the indention of older scars - something he found insanely intimate, though he'd never admit how much he actually enjoyed it. "I figured you wouldn't mind since the twins are sleeping and I needed to make dinner. Jack nodded, his heterochromatic eyes watching as she caressed his arms, a slight smile on his face. Although he'd never profess how much he enjoyed her kissing and caressing his scars, she could tell by how his face softened, the way his body relaxed to her touch, the look in his eyes when he watched her admire him. He wanted to return the favor, the favor of the admiration she gave to him. He wanted to express how much he adored her, how much he _needed_ her, and with that, he moved his right hand up, thumb brushing along her bottom lip, before moving further up after the gentle, quick tease, his fingers pushing her hair back, revealing the scar on her forehead. "Jack-"  
He shushed her, his lips kissing along the marking slowly. The only scar he had ever seen on her, the only thing she still refused to talk to him (or Rhys) about beyond the 'how I got it' talk. She quivered in his grip, body tensing, her grip on him tightening a bit while she closed her eyes, trying to calm down her distress. She knew he meant well, honestly, but this was something that only reminded her of her betrayal. "Y'know," He whispered, his eyes staring down at her defeated features, his heart hurting for her. "I like that you have a scar. It reminds me that you're really here, and not some delusional daydream," He smoothly laid out on her, a sly grin on his face as she blushed furiously.

"You're so..."  
"Insufferable?" He finished for her, chuckling a bit when she grinned up at him. "I think I've heard that a few times, Kitten."

"I wasn't going to say that," She fessed up, her grin turning into a smile. "I was going to say charming."

"Oh. Well, I am that, too," He responded, chuckling again when she rolled her eyes. "I love you."

"I love you, Jack."

After everyone at dinner, she watched an exhausted Timothy help Alex to the bathroom. He was walking better than he was in the beginning, but it was still a work in progress - honestly, she was still baffled that he was talking when he first came in but got worse as he healed. It must've been a fairly deep head trauma for him to reverse like that; had it been her in his place, she probably would've fallen into stasis, but he lacked the ability to do that. Tim didn't seem to care about tending to him, always seemingly being gentle about it, shushing Alex's complaints when he'd try to speak. The whole process would be faster if Alex would stop being stubborn and just leech from Tim, but it was like talking to a wall.

Now, it was roughly one forty-five in the morning, Adelia was standing over John's cradle, breastfeeding him in a sleepy trance, Rhys sitting up on the edge of the bed, watching her in case she faltered any, though, he wasn't much help himself - he was dozing off just sitting up. Eventually, she realized the door was cracked open, Timothy staring at her with an extremely flushed face, mouth open as if he wanted to talk to her, but his eyes were locked on her breast, his tongue licking his lips slowly. She arched a sleepy brow, turning away from him a bit to deter his stare before Jack woke up to murder him, and that seemingly broke his trance. "U-um," He whispered, his face flushed a furious crimson as she adjusted her nightgown, patting John's back and rocking him, trying to entice a burp from him, her grey eyes flickering over to the stuttering male. Once her son burped, she returned his pacifier, setting him back in the cradle.

"What is it?" She asked in a sleepy whisper, picking up the soiled, whining Annalise, carrying her over to the changing station, her hands making quick work of the clips on the onesie.

"C-can I talk to you when y-you finish?" He stammered out hushedly, glancing at Rhys, who was nodding off on his cybernetic arm, apparently not even aware of Timothy being in the room with them. Saying nothing, she gave a nod, waving her hand at him, her hands sliding the onesie off of her daughter, hands undoing the diaper slowly, setting it aside, making quick work of the clean-up, thankful it wasn't a number two. Carefully wrapping the fussy baby up in her clean diaper after applying a small amount of baby powder where the diaper would rest, she slipped the onesie on with minimal effort, accustomed to the fighting child now. Fixing her onesie, she brought her over to the cradle, returning the pacifier before swaddling her, moving to swaddle her brother soon after, her hand grabbing the diaper, bringing it to the small cleaner bot Jack had made for the diapers, handing it off, her eyes locking on Tim while she washed her hands in their bathroom.

"What is it?" She asked sleepily, repeating herself. "You're lucky Rhys was the one who sat up instead of Jack, he'd have your head if he caught you staring at me like that."

He flinched at her words, his cheeks flushing even darker as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "I didn't mean to, I just- u-um," He flushed more if that were even possible, his freckles standing out against his red cheeks. "I j-just, never saw what a l-loving mother looked like," He stammered out quickly, leaving her blinking at the sudden confession. "B-but that's not why I, u-um..." He fidgeted with his shirt hem. "I-I don't know how to c-calm Alex down. I was just sleeping and, and he just started going crazy."

She rubbed her face sleepily, brushing past him, opening the door to their temporary room, seeing Alex baby-raging, tossing his sketchbook down, grunts of anger coming from him as he staggered around, ripping up pages from the book. "Alex," She said, and he instantly froze, turning to look at her with tears in his eyes, ashamed to have been caught like this, a sheepish Timothy peeking over her. His legs gave out as he fell to the floor, holding his head in choked sobs. "Hey, hey," She spoke softly, kneeling down next to him, her soft hands cupping his stubbled-covered face, forcing him to look at her. "Shhh, it's okay," She cooed to him, her thumbs lightly rubbing away the tears.

"Shields," He slurred out heavily, visibly cringing at his voice, grunting a bit as his eyes fell.

"They can wait," She stated, knowing that he meant the deadline. "I know you're aggravated, but you need to rest. You're not helping your healing process any by staying angry and frustrated all the time, especially since you're being a stubborn ass and not listening to me," She chastised, letting out a faint sigh, glancing back at the nervous Timothy, Alex's face contorting when he met Tim's mismatched eyes, his gaze instantly breaking away. "I think you two need to talk, as best as you can. There's clearly something bothering you." She glanced back at Tim's face, seeing it twisted into pure hurt by Alex's reaction. Moving her hands from Alex's face, she let out a groan of her own, unable to believe she'd ever do this for someone. "On the bed," She demanded to Alex, standing up, nodding her head to Timothy to help him up, which he hesitantly complied, his body shuddering when Alex gripped his arm. Clearly, the incident had scared Alex far more than he was letting on if just a gentle caress set Timothy off like that. Walking away from the men for a moment, she dug through the dresser drawer, fully aware that Alex had a tie in there somewhere, and lo and behold, there was one. Bringing it back over, she snatched Alex's hands, tying them together as Tim stared with wide eyes, mirroring Alex's expression.

"Since you want to be stubborn," She started, making sure the knot was tight enough to not be easily untied by Alex. "I have to take matters into my own hands. Timothy," She said, keeping a firm hold on Alex, despite his weak struggles. "Press your stomach against his hands," She demanded, the look of exhaustion and annoyance undoubtedly terrifying Timothy as he complied without a second thought, his body shuddering when Alex's touch met his mark. "Now," She glanced back at Alex. "You two are going to talk, just like this, because clearly, you think each other is made out of glass," She stated the last part deadpan, both of them sharing a flushed face with one another, her hand moving to grip Tim's, moving it to take her place on his arm. "I'm going back to bed," She announced, walking out of the room, closing the door behind her, making her way back to the bedroom, shaking Rhys by his shoulder lightly as she climbed into the bed, feeling Jack's arm wrap around her tightly as soon as her body pressed against the bed. Rhys turned to face her, his arm wrapping around her just above Jack's, both men holding her snugly in the middle, making her feel grateful it was winter and fairly cold, given how close they both were to her. Closing her exhausted eyes, she drifted off into a light sleep.

* * *

The following month came and went in a blur. Judging by her intervention with Alex and Tim, they both seemed to be more at ease with each other, and judging by the marks on Tim's neck, they were back to how they should be. Tim had started getting more snugly with her when she was sitting by herself, waiting for Jack or Rhys to come in, even going to the extent of resting his head in her lap (with permission), his eyes staying off of her despite his flushed face. It didn't take a genius to know that he longed for motherly affection, especially when he'd audibly moan when she absentmindedly ran her fingers through his hair, her eyes glued on her ECHO in her other hand, reviewing some things Jack had sent to her to double-check - mostly little contracts stating that she, Rhys, and their children were the sole heirs to the Hyperion empire should something happen to him. She claimed that was overdramatic and unnecessary, but he insisted it'd look better on him to the board members if they 'finalized their relationship in writing'. As far as she could tell, he'd given her total reign over everything in his place, even if he was around; every day seemed to have new tweaks to the contract, typos fixed, grammatical areas addressed, so on and so forth, so the daily routine had gone from her going to Helios with him to staying home with the twins, Alex, and Timothy, with Timothy resting in her lap, enjoying the attention he was getting from her while she absentmindedly reviewed everything Jack had sent him, answering any questions Timothy had with kindness - mostly things a child would ask, but she still humored him with a smile. Thanks to her intervention, Alex was also making considerable improvements, his speech not as heavily slurred and his legs were a lot stronger than they had been. He finally was going back to himself and had given Jack the shield blueprints he finally managed to get out. 

The twins, of course, were growing more independent by the day, opting to try and crawl around more, their little limbs flailing a bit, making everyone watch where they were stepping. Rhys and Jack had trouble understanding why they were progressing so quickly, however, she couldn't explain, she just shrugged and said it was how Eridians were - which wasn't a lie; Eridians developed much faster, especially when it came to the motor and cognitive functions. By the time they were one year old, they'd likely be talking. The only downside to the speedy aging was they tended to grow bored easily, often getting into far more trouble than human babies to excite themselves. This also meant if they were Sirens, their markings would be showing around the two-year mark, but their abilities would manifest far before then, and that alone frightened Jack (for obvious reasons). Jack had (seemingly) forgotten completely about the timespan for her healing running out, which she was honestly thankful for, given how much the babies were feeding - Rhys, though, was ready to jump into it, not even a day after the limit was up, but that was shortlived; once he had his fill for a few days, he relaxed with it, wanting to rest and spend time with her instead. Now that the twins were two months, they were easing up with their want for constant attention, more focused on exploring than anything.

Since it was nearing mid-December, Jack and Rhys demanded to hold a traditional Christmas, even going to the extent of putting up a tree, saying they 'wanted to have the memory of a normal holiday with her for once'. She just shrugged about it, not really understanding the concept of holidays, but ultimately decided not to protest - it seemed to make them excited and happy, so she wouldn't be the one to rain on their parade. After all, it was nearing the time she woke up last year, meaning, she'd been around them a full year.

_**Now, Jack's Office, Opportunity, Pandora (9:45 AM)** _

_**An: some slight smutty scenes ahead, followed by actual smut.**_

Jack had business meetings to attend to on Pandora and she accompanied him at his request, saying she needed to make an appearance to the board to verify she was still around and healthy, the only downside was that they'd be gone for, at minimum, three days. Having left the twins with Timothy (and an abundance of pumped milk for them), Jack and Adelia flowed around the office in their normal fashion, only this time, they were doing the Waltz, their bodies pressed flush against one another, her cheeks reddened from the sweet little nothings he whispered to her each time they twirled. He was laying the charm on her thickly already, and the worst part? It was working. Every small little promise of things he wanted to do to her, the explanation of how much he loved her, the way his hands clung desperately to her, she knew she wasn't going to last long at this rate - and so did he, that's why he had a sadistic grin on his face. She knew deep down he had other plans for her, just from the way he stared at her, like a predator ready to jump its prey. However, she wouldn't roll over and take it this time; she was going to give him a taste of his medicine.

"Jack," She mumbled when the music stopped, her body shivering when he nosed at her jawline, peppering her unblemished skin in gentle kisses, giving a few soft nibbles. "S-stop," She half-whispered, half-moaned, her grip on his shoulder tightening, her body leaning against his touch, a burning yearning for him creeping up her spine.

"I could," He murmured against her ear, his pearly whites taking her earlobe between them, giving it a gentle tug, knowing exactly how it melts her every time, a cocky smirk on his face when she gasped out. "But you've seemed to have captivated me, Kitten."

She shuddered at his words, reluctantly pulling away, leaving him standing there with a confused expression. "I know you're trying to seduce me, but it's not going to work," She declared, crossing her arms over the yellow, sheer (but extremely warm) button-up he'd picked for her earlier, her flushed face making her grey eyes stand out as she glared at him. He opened his mouth to speak, but before any words came out, she continued, "I'm not having sex in your office. Just, Jesus, Jack. It's been almost three months and you want a quick fuck _here_?" He couldn't help but smirk at her outrage, which only furthered her "anger", a slight grin creeping across her own lips. She was fucking with him and he knew it, but to be fair, he did deserve it. Weeks of endless teasings had seemingly gotten her snippy, and to him, that was abso-friggin-lutely hilarious.

"First of all," He counted as cooly as he could, stepping toward her, making himself appear much larger than her (which wasn't very hard), following her as she backed up to the window, his right hand cupping her chin, forcing her to maintain eye contact with him. "Who said anything about office sex? Ya know, I have a friggin' giant penthouse on top of this building, Pumpkin," He purred to her lowly, his left hand caressing her hip, giving her thigh a firm grip, smirking when a desperate, but faint, moan escaped those rosy lips of hers. 

"Yes, I know," She murmured back to him, biting her bottom lip, allowing it to roll from her teeth, exactly the way she knew drove him mad, and judging by the way his breath hitched and his body tensed, it had worked yet again. "But we also have a meeting to attend to, and I'd rather not be rushed," She added on, her hands moving to caress his chest through his many layers, a low groan coming from him at the realization - yes, there was still that meeting coming up in a few minutes. "After all, I believe Daddy promised to _ruin_ me," She pressed on, her voice growing seductive toward the end, her eyes twinkling in delight as he let out a low moan, already erect in his jeans. She'd beaten him at his own game and she knew it, he didn't have to acknowledge it. Instead of saying anything, he moved his hand from her chin, gripping her throat, giving it a firm squeeze - a taste of what was to come -, his smirk growing when she whimpered, her face flushing nearly immediately, hands moving to grip his wrist, but she didn't resist him or tug on his hand - instead of resisting, she pulled his hand closer to her, his eyes widening at the invitation she was providing him, his grip tightening more, a sadistic grin on his face when she shuddered under his touch.

Rolling her bottom lip between her teeth again, she let out an audible gasp when his grip twitched, her eyes twinkling in amusement while his twinkled similarly, only, his eyes hid sadistic, lustful urges. Deciding to indulge in the pissing contest they had apparently started, she removed her left hand from his wrist, her right hand keeping a firm grip as she withered beneath him, nipples poking out through her shirt, her grey eyes staying locked on his blue and green ones, never faltering in a single movement she made. Allowing her fingers to graze along the outline of his girth, a similar smirk to his grew across her lips, and in that moment, he realized just how much he loved her. Nobody would ever indulge his tendencies like this - or rather, nobody left alive -, and she apparently picked up in his mood shift, her hand turning to grasp him through his pants, a low groan escaping his lips as he ground lightly against her touch, wanting - no, _needing_ -, more. Then, he realized, he played right into her hands. Literally. He started this, but he knew she wasn't going to let him win it - at least, not without a fight.

"Fuck, I love you," He breathed out when she moved her hand in synchronicity with his hips, stilling it moments later, a low whine of protest coming from him, something he never dreamed would happen, and she would never let him live it down judging by the shit-eating grin that crept along her lips.

"What do you always tell me?" She mused, giving him a firm grasp, his body shuddering, absolute putty in her hands. "Ah-ah, language?" She continued, his grip faltering on her neck, his eyes blinking in hazy surprise. Since when did she harbor these traits she was using against him? Stepping closer to him, she felt his grip fall from her completely, his hand moving to grip her waist, enjoying the pawing she was giving his erected girth, her right hand moving to the nape of his neck, fingers trailing against his tanned skin. He was putty in her hands, and she loved it, he, on the other hand, had realized that he had started a contest he'd never win, and the worst part? He enjoyed it. A lot. This newfound confidence of hers could gladly be the death of him. "You should know, I'm not going to go easy on you anymore, Baby," She purred to him, her fingers sliding into his hair, her eyes shifting to his new assistant who strolled into the room, clearing his throat.

Jack groaned loudly in annoyance the moment her eyes shifted from his, craning his neck to face the blonde-haired assistant. "Yes?" He asked, tone full of venom, clearly pissed that their mood was interrupted.

"The meeting is starting in five minutes, they're expecting you two," Jesse said bluntly, turning on his heel and walking out, not particularly caring to see his boss be fondled by his other boss.

She hummed in amusement at his exasperated sigh, his large hand pawing at her side. "We'll have to finish this later, Kitten," He murmured to her, his lips grazing hers just slightly, hinting at a kiss that never came, a grin on his face from her obvious pout. Their pissing contest was far from over, and both of them knew it'd end with one of them begging for the other, and that was fine with them. Wrapping his arm around her waist fully, he led her out of the office, the only sound from the corridor coming from Jesse's angry keyboard typing, his eyes not even glancing over at them when they passed him, making their way to the meeting room. Unlike Helios's, Opportunity's was much smaller, and understandably so. The only time any meetings were held here were for Tediore and other companies to join in. Easier clean-up, Jack had said.

Opening the doors for her, everyone in the room stopped, freezing at the sight of her, her hand placed on her hip, just shy of his, a sly grin on her face while he harbored a cocky smirk behind her. To a stranger, they truly were a power couple, the dominant vibes coming from both of them could easily drown out a room. Jack wasn't fully sure what had happened before, but she seemed more at peace with herself after giving birth (and after he launched that bitch out an airlock), allowing her confidence to shine through bit by bit, although, she still had days where she couldn't even muster enough confidence to look him in the face, and it left him half-wondering if, perhaps, it was _his_ ego wearing off on her (it was) - either way, he didn't care, the tremendous boost of confidence she earned around him was always a breath of fresh air.

Taking her seat next to the one at the head of the table, she crossed one leg over the other, seeing Jack practically hold his breath as her black, pencil skirt slid up her thigh out the corner of his eye. " _This_ is who you're sharing the company with?" A woman finally piped up, motioning to Adelia, the Maliwan uniform clinging to her figure. "A pitiful excuse for a girl who thinks she can get what she wants by opening her legs?"

Jack's grin faltered while Adelia's stayed on her face, stopping Jack when he reached for the turret button, nearly everyone scooting away from the loud-mouthed woman who sincerely seemed to forget who she was talking to. She glanced over at a few board members from Helios. "Show of hands," She started, Jack arching a brow at the new game she was playing. "Have I ever, quote, 'opened my legs' for any of you?" The board members stared at her in shock at the sudden question, all of them saying a 'no ma'am' in unison. Shifting her gaze back to the woman, she cockily sat back, mirroring Jack's cocky smirk, proving to him that he tremendously rubbed off on her. But it was hot. He was into it. "In the time that I was on Helios," She started again before the woman could speak, "How many times have I openly declined this position from Jack?"

"Far more than I can remember," One of the younger men piped up, instantly shushing when Jack shot a glare.

"You probably only denied it to make him want you more," The other woman argued. "You probably don't do anything beneficial for your workers."

"Actually, Miss Adelia has been the kindest boss," The older man from accounting said. "Her ideas have increased our profit far more than tenfold in the last six months alone. She's successfully merged Tediore, Anshin, and even helped rebuild Atlas in the three, nearly four, years she's been in the picture. She makes sure we have holidays off to spend with our families, has definitely saved all of our asses more than once, even lowered the cost and casualties in the military. Plus, it's clearly evident that Jack is smitten with her, I remember when she did nothing but scoff and roll her eyes at him. This was a mutual thing, clearly," He finally finished, cleaning his glasses, with his handkerchief, adjusting them back on his face. "So, I suggest you either shut your mouth before you piss all of us Hyperion, Tediore, and Anshin board members off or you get killed by Handsome Jack. Either way will work in our favor," He declared, everyone on the mutual side agreeing with him, shooting the woman nothing but harsh glares. Leaning back in her chair, Jack couldn't help but admire how smug she looked, that cocky smirk on her face, hands gripping her thighs, caressing them slowly, knowing he was watching her. She hadn't even needed to defend herself fully, the board members all seemed to like and adore her. _Excellent,_ he thought to himself, leaning back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. Had this been a few years ago, he'd light a cigarette to further the vibe in the room, signaling off the turrets to end the disruptor, however, he'd given up the habit not long after Angel was murdered, and at this moment, his attention was elsewhere. His eyes watched her inconspicuously as she caressed and groped her thighs, their teasing contest still going apparently, a playful grin peeking under the cocky smirk.

The protesting woman said nothing as she stared at Adelia's cocky grin, and Adelia could see how badly it was pissing her off. "Allow me to go on a limb here, and please, do humor me," She started, Jack snapping out of his trance from watching her, eager to hear what she had in mind now. "Are you just bitter because Jack chose me and _not_ you?" The woman paled, opening her mouth in stammering syllables, not even able to speak a word. "Yeah, thought so," She shrugged, her grey eyes glancing over at Jack, who just beamed at her. To him, this was just furthering their foreplay. She'd learned from watching him that he enjoyed looking down on others (though it had eased up a bit) and, judging by the predatory glint in his eyes, she was doing a damned good job of teasing him. To her, though, this was just another Maliwan scum. She had no respect for anyone who worked there, given that Hyperion had nearly ripped the corporation to shreds after what Katagawa did to her. "You've a lot of nerve showing up after what your company did to me," She finally said lowly, shifting a bit uncomfortably in her seat, and that was all Jack needed. Without another second passing, he pressed the button, firing off the turrets, the leftovers of the woman scattered across the Hyperion-yellow walls. And they proceeded with the meeting with no further complaints, everyone seemingly calmer now that she was gone.

The moment the meeting ended, Jack was dragging Adelia out before the rest of them, practically slamming her against the wall of the elevator, a soft grunt coming from her as he pinned her against the wall with his body, his left hand gripping her hair once he sent the personal code to the elevator, giving her hair a sharp tug while his right gripped her throat, feeling the elevator moving around them. She tilted her head back, staring up at him with half-lidded eyes, a daring, taunting moan coming from her, her body pressing against his, her right hand gripping his wrist while her left one slid across his throat, moving to the back of his neck, both of them meeting in the middle, sharing a very heated, very desperate kiss, both determined to steal the breath from the other. His grip tightened on her throat, an attempt to assert his dominance over her, while her hand moved from his wrist, cupping his throbbing erection through his jeans again, a hushed moan escaping her lips while a groan of his own erupted from his, his hips pressing against her hand, needing more. 

"You're so friggin' sexy," He purred to her lowly when they broke their kiss, his mismatched eyes meeting hers, a smirk on his face when her face flared a bright crimson, both of them panting from their heated kiss.

"So are you, Mister Handsome," She murmured to him seductively, nipping at his bottom lip, a hushed groan coming from him. The moment the elevator doors opened, revealing a spotless, large penthouse, his arms overtook her waist, lifting her up with ease, tossing her over his shoulder to carry her to the master bedroom, leaving her practically no time to admire the place. Without warning, he tossed her on the bed, immediately climbing on top of her, his large hand ripping her shirt open, buttons flying everywhere as she shuddered from his need, feeling it in the back of her mind, her finger moving to his masked lips, stilling him in his tracks. "No," She answered to his confused face, her hands moving to caress along the clips, edging underneath the edge of his mask, popping it off carefully in her hands. "We're doing this my way," She added on, a stifled, amused chuckle coming from him when she carefully slid her fingers under his clips, prying them off with ease. He'd been sticking them on since she healed him the first time, not wanting to traumatize his face by having the screws replaced - mostly because he felt like it'd be a slap in a face to her after she'd healed him so nicely -, though, this was the first time she had ever removed them herself. Once all of the clips were off, she set them down on the nightstand with his mask, her fingers gliding across the red marks left from the glue, his body betraying him with a shudder. The way she caressed him never failed to drive him mad, even more so since that night on the couch when he gave her his full trust. She always brushed those delicate, soft fingers across his scars, stroking and touching him in a far more intimate way than he assumed was possible, showing him how it felt to be loved and admired, not just for his status or money, but for himself.

Allowing her fingers to graze along the mark on his face, she smiled lovingly up at him, her eyes searching his, seeing the vulnerability he often hid in his eyes, his gaze harboring nothing but love, desperation, and adoration for her. "You've absolutely ruined me, Kitten," He whispered to her sweetly, snapping out of his trance, his arms wrapping around her as she leaned back, his body nearly lying on top of her when their lips met in a surprisingly gentle (at least for Jack), loving kiss, a hushed gasp coming from her once his hands found her waist, untucking her shirt from her skirt. Since his excitement had let to it already being ripped open, it slid down her shoulders with ease once she leaned up, her hands finding their way to his vest, undoing his buttons painstakingly slow, a huff of annoyance escaping him. He wore a lot of layers to protect him from the harsh sun that beamed down on Pandora (and extra protection against bullets), however, in instances like this, he regretted wearing so many. Moving off of her, she watched him curiously, her eyes taking in the sight of his muscles while he stripped, pulling off layer after layer, her hands moving to unzip her skirt, pushing it down, her fingers undoing her stockings quietly, eyes never leaving him, a playful grin on her lips. However, before she could slide her stockings down, his hands replaced hers, delicately removing the dark, sheer fabric from her toned legs - first the left, then the right -, his lips pressing against her left calf slowly, making his way up, nuzzling his nose against her panties, giving her flower a taunting kiss, a hushed chuckle escaping him at the sound of her sudden gasp. 

Then the elevator dinged, audible groans coming from both of them, Jack moving his naked self under the duvet while she slid under next to him, his hand moving to cover the both of them, his eyes glaring at his assistant that strolled to the doorway, but kept his back to them. "What now?" He asked in clear irritability, his right hand edging down her stomach, a smirk on his face when she bit her lip, holding in her hushed moan when his fingers pushed past her folds, fingers playing with her little button.

"The Crimson Raiders wish to meet with Miss Adelia," He said, Jack's fingers stilling, rage beginning to course through him, but when she placed a hand on his arm, he relaxed, hand pulling out of her panties. She huffed, falling back on the bed, rubbing her face slowly.

"When?" Jack asked, his eyes glancing down at her flustered expression. She clearly was growing tired of these interrupts as much as he was.

"Now. They're outside of Opportunity."

Sighing loudly, she moved the duvet off of her, hands reaching for her skirt. "You can't be serious, Kitten," He mumbled to her, eyes watching her get dressed.

"I'm tired of being interrupted," She declared, fishing a new shirt out of the closet, buttoning it up but leaving it hanging out. Leaving her shoes and stockings, she followed behind Jesse, Jack in tow, hastily getting dressed behind them, clips reattaching to his face before he placed his mask back on. There was no way in hell he'd let her be alone with them. "Are you sure you want to come?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest, glancing up at Jack.

"I don't trust those bandits as far as I can toss 'em," He answered bluntly, buttoning his vest before rolling up his sleeves, Jesse staring at nothing, his own aggravation radiating with theirs. Jack knew if he could blow the bandits to Elpis, he gladly would, but it'd violate their truce Adelia worked so hard to preserve. Back then, he may have undermined her, but not now. 

Once the elevator dinged, Jesse headed back to his desk, Jack and Adelia strolling toward the stairs leading out of his secret office, both heading toward the entrance of Opportunity, seeing a powerless Lilith, a tied-up Katagawa, and a pissed off Moxxi standing in front of them. "Took you long enough, Sugar," Moxxi said, flipping her hair over her shoulder, rage coursing through Jack at the sight of his ex.

"Yeah, well, unlike you, we have _jobs_ that don't involve sucking down dicks," Jack responded angrily, practically snarling at his ex.

Adelia shot a passive glance at Jack, worried he'd explode. It was no secret that Moxxi's betrayals had started a chain reaction of events in his life. "What do you want?" She finally said, staring Lilith down.

"I want my powers back," Lilith said, tossing a very beat-up and bruised Katagawa forward. "Or I'm not watching him any longer. You cut off our money and our food supply."

"You broke the truce," Adelia argued back coldly, not even glancing at the whimpering Katagawa bowing down in front of her. Whatever they'd done to him, it had to have been terrible, though, unfortunately, she felt no pity for him. "I warned you several times, I'm not someone to be toyed with."

"The city is in chaos, Sugar. We need some supplies," Moxxi finally piped up, adjusting her hand on her hip, staring at Adelia, who just shrugged.

"Not my problem, Lilith was the one who fucked it all up for all of you."  
"I had a feeling you'd say that," Lilith finally spoke up, snapping her fingers, several Maliwan troops coming out from the shadows, guns pointed at Jack and Adelia. "That's why we reached out to Maliwan for supplies."

"Oh no, what a shame," Jack mocked lowly, a sinister grin coming across his lips. "What ever shall we do, Kitten?" 

Adelia hummed in amusement, an arched brow at the betrayal she had seen coming months ago. "See, Killer, I knew you would've killed me if you didn't have use for me, so clearly-" Before Lilith could finish speaking, Adelia had her pinned facedown to the ground, head pressing into the harsh dirt. 

"Evidently, you just don't learn," She cooed as the turrets went off, successfully killing off all of the Maliwan troops, leaving just the original three, Jack's pistol pointed at Moxxi, ready to fire. "I have no use for you. Why would I?" She mused, shoving Lilith's head harder against the ground, a single bullet ringing out, forcing her to move moments before it hit her. She dusted off her knees, a glance moving over to Mordecai in the distance. He was too far out of her range for her to stop him in his tracks, but she knew where he was now, and so did Jack, a bullet from his pistol firing off in the direct, just barely missing as the skinny male hurriedly moved out the way, rolling down the cliff disgracefully. "You don't want to watch Katagawa anymore? That's fine," She finally said, glancing at Jack, watching as he cocked the gun again, pointing it at the sobbing male. "I have no use for him either. I just thought I could be merciful. Just like I was with you," She added on, squatting back down to Lilith, slender fingers dancing along the older woman's face. She'd done considerable damage to her, but not enough to permanently hurt her beyond a scar or two. "I supplied your town with finances, food, materials, even guns. I helped build the defenses up to protect the citizens. _You_ were the sole reason that stopped. Had you not betrayed me and tried to kill Jack on the battlefield, they'd still be on their way."  
Jack smirked when Moxxi's face twisted to confusion. "What? Ya thought ol' Jack here turned on her?" He asked, staring at Moxxi. "C'mon balloon tits, I know you friggin' think low of me, but you should know that Jack never backs out of an agreement."

"You said Jack attacked you first, Lilith," Moxxi said, turning to stare at the woman on the ground.

Adelia couldn't hold back her laughter, and neither could Jack. "No," She finally breathed out, a grin on her face. "Jack didn't turn on her until she turned on him. Ask Zer0 if you doubt me, he was there, he's the one who warned me of the possible betrayal." She glanced at Jack, who was wiping a tear out of his masked eye, gun pointed back at Katagawa. Lilith broke her gaze away from Moxxi's harsh stare, slowly getting to the ground, pulling a gun out slowly, aiming at Adelia. "And there it is," She added on, fixing her shirt, turning to face Lilith fully, staring down the barrel of the pitiful gun. "Do it," She commanded with a sadistic smile. "Shoot me. Show your followers how devoted you are to their wellbeing."

"Lilith, don't-" Before Moxxi could finish, Lilith fired off the gun, but the bullet did nothing, landing down in front of Adelia after bouncing off the powerful shield Rhys had made and given to her. Moxxi and Mordecai stared in disbelief, Katagawa's choked sobs the only sound coming from anywhere around them.

"I was there, that day," Katagawa finally spoke up. "Lilith betrayed Jack," He whispered out, his eye flickering between Adelia and Jack, begging for mercy. "Look in one of the soldier's top vest pocket, it has footage of that day."

Adelia glanced at Jack, sympathy washing over her features. "Adelia, no," Jack said sternly, already knowing what she had in mind.

"But I have an idea," She said with a smile while Moxxi dug through the soldier's pocket, Lilith standing there, flabbergasted that her last bullet had done nothing to the Siren. Stepping toward Jack, she whispered it against his ear, a dark, sadistic smirk growing across his lips.

"Alright, alright," He agreed, his eyes flickering to Lilith. "We'll do it your way, but only for the blackmail," He murmured to her, bending down to pick the whimpering, weak boy up, dragging him into Opportunity, but Adelia wasn't quite done.

"When you realize Lilith is to blame," She said, staring at Moxxi, who watched the tape in disbelief. "You know how to reach me to reconstitute the truce," And with that, she turned, walking into Opportunity with Jack, the gates closing as WAR Loaders took their positions back behind the human guards, all of them giving warning stares at the two women in front of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Henlo bbies.  
> I know that my writing has gotten sloppy, I haven't been in the best health and I do plan to practically rewrite this whole fanfic once I'm feeling better, but for now, I hope you're enjoying the soft Jack chaos!


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is literally mostly fluff and smut. There will be no author notes signaling when it starts or ends.  
> You've been warned.
> 
> also big plot twist, please don't hate me too much uwu

After a very angry talk with his assistant and a weeping Katagawa being forcibly drug to the dungeon beneath the base, Jack led the equally aggravated Adelia off to the elevator again, both of them rubbing their faces in annoyance. "If we get five friggin' minutes alone, I'd be satisfied," He said, pinching the bridge of his nose, his fingers already removing the clips on his face, mostly due to the fact that they were already peeling off - he hadn't had time to reapply the glue and just stuck them back where they were. "Do not, Kitten," He threatened, realizing how what he said sounded, seeing her sly grin on her face.

"What? I wasn't going to say anything," She responded with a tempted smile. "Although, I do have an idea," She expressed, his hands catching the last clip once it fell from his chin.

"And, what would that be?" She hummed in amusement at his question, unbuttoning her shirt slowly, saying nothing as she sauntered back into the penthouse, feeling his eyes watching her curiously, his footsteps quiet behind her, following her to their bedroom, both their shoes discarded the second they entered. He stared at her, watching her strip her shirt off, tossing it onto the dresser, her hands moving between her busty, swollen breasts, undoing the clip just as she turned away from him, making her way to the bathroom. "Honey?" He questioned, hesitatingly following behind her.

"I'm not stripping in plain sight," She declared with a wink, sliding her black bra off her shoulders, dropping it to the ground, her fingers moving to the back of her skirt, but he beat her to it, his fingers already sliding the zipper down, mouth close to her ear.

"Why? Scared someone will see ya?" He purred against her ear, smirking when her body shuddered, hands edging under her panties. "I'll kill them before they get a good look," He promised in a hushed tone.

"How possessive," She responded, turning to face him when her skirt slid off her hips, dropping to the floor around her legs, his eyes taking in her nearly bare figure, tongue grazing against his pearly whites, a satisfied noise coming from him. "But, I'd rather be safe than sorry, plus, I just," She paused, wrapping her arms across her swollen breasts, his smirk falling at her covering herself. She was quite self-conscious about how swollen they were with her milk, but he and Rhys seemed not to mind, even if they were saggier than before. "I don't like how I look right now," She mumbled out.

Her words hung heavily over him, his eyes searching her face for any hint of a joke. "Honey, you look beautiful as always," He said after a few moments, his hands gripping her arms, tugging them away from her breasts. "Truly a queen fit for a king," He purred to her, grinning when her face flushed a bright crimson, her mouth opening to protest, only to be cut off by his lips meeting hers, a hushed whine coming from her while he backed her up to the wall, pinning her hands above her head in one of his, his other hand brushing against her hip, fingers edging under her white, lacey panties. She arched her hips into his touch, giving his bottom lip a sharp nibble, followed by a slow, taunting tug, a cocky smirk creeping across her lips at his groan. "Killin' me here, Honey," He murmured to her seductively, his lips taking hers once more, only this time, he didn't linger, his hand releasing hers, dropping to her other hip, edging her panties off her plump, round rear with ease.

"You didn't seem to care when you did it to me," She purred to him, her hands moving to undo his vest clips, her confidence boosted back up from his sweet words, stepping out of the clothing pile beneath her.

"Yeah, well-" He started to argue.

"No," She whispered to him, teeth nipping at his neck, hands tugging on his vest, "No excuses, Daddy." He shuddered at her calling him that, his hands grasping hers, releasing her hold on him. Unbuttoning his white shirt, he shrugged his many layers off easily, chuckling against her lips when she met his in a fevered kiss, his hands undoing his jeans next, shoving them down. "You think you can just sweet talk me like that and expect to get away with it?" She breathed against his lips, a sly grin on hers, sinking to her knees, giving his erected tip a gentle kiss, her grey eyes staring at him, taking in the lustful look he was giving her. 

"I think somebody forgot their manners," He breathed out, ready to taunt her, but before he could say anything else, his head tilted back, feeling her warm, moist mouth taking in his tip, her tongue running across his slit, showing no mercy to him. He'd deal with her smart mouth later, he decided, feeling her take more of his length in, his hand grasping her hair lightly, hips thrusting against her movements, wanting her to take more of him in, to which she complied. Relaxing her jaw, she gagged slightly once his hips started thrusting, less-than-gently mouth-fucking her, her hands moving to grip his hips, nails digging against his skin while she hollowed out her cheeks, her tongue twitching beneath him with each move he made. 

"Fuck, Kitten," He moaned out, shoving his entire length down her throat, stilling his hips, his girth throbbing in her mouth, his right hand moving to wipe away a few involuntary tears she shed, her face red and flushed, nearly-clear eyes staring up at him longingly. Sliding him out of her mouth, she breathed heavily, hand working his cock painstakingly slow, thumb rubbing across his slit, daring him to cum for her, her bottom lip captured perfectly between her teeth just the way he liked it, a primal noise coming from him at the sight. Gradually, she stood up, her hand still pumping him - this time, at a moderate speed -, lips peppering along his collarbone, giving a few nibbles here and there, low, earthy groans coming from him as he released his climax in her hand, his body shuddering at the feel of her pumping him dry.

"Look what you did, Daddy," She murmured to him, bringing her cum-covered hand to her mouth, eyes staying locked on his while she licked a small bit of it off, his breath hitching at the sight. "You've made a mess," She added on just as seductively, this time, twirling her tongue around her finger, getting every last drop off of her skin, his mouth hanging open, stunned, watching as she teased him further.

"Goddamn," He breathed out, his cock already twitching again at the sight. She hummed in amusement, ensuring to lick the last drop off as slowly and seductively as she could, a startled squeal coming from her when he hoisted her over his shoulder, carrying her to the bed. "It's my turn now," He purred to her in a seductive tone mirroring hers, an excited giggle coming from her once he tossed her down, her body relaxing against the bed, head tilting to the side, exposing her neck to him, soft breaths escaping her lips with each kiss and bite he left on her fair skin. Her skin flooded with goosebumps, an excited, expecting tremble coming from her when his lips reached her chest, a shuddering moan escaping her lips when he cupped her right breast with his hand. 

"Ah, wait, I haven't pumped yet-" She started, shuddering when he massaged her breast, a few droplets of milk emerging from her nipple. "Jack," She mumbled, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment, only to flare even darker when his mouth latched around her rosy bud, giving it a firm suck, drinking her milk. He released a pleased noise at the sweet taste of her milk, drinking it gluttonously, his eyes gazing up at her, hips grinding against her slightly; normally, this wasn't something he'd do, but he knew she needed to pump every few hours or her breasts would hurt - she'd vocalized it more than once when she was on Helios with him without the twins. And he was already here and ready, so what could the harm be? It wasn't like he intended to constantly drink her milk, plus, the vulnerable, confused face she was making undoubtedly aroused him.

Strangely enough, she _did_ felt aroused by his predatory gaze and odd behavior, his hand had moved to her other breast, massaging it the same way, his girth twitching against her thigh; she felt totally helpless and at his mercy - vulnerable. Moving her hips a bit, she spread her thighs, her wet slit ground against his tip, eliciting a low, growling noise from him, his hips tauntingly pressing against her, daring to enter her. Releasing her bud with an audible popping noise, he brought his lips to hers in a hungry, demanding kiss, his tongue forcing its way inside of her mouth, forcing her to taste her milk. A whimper came from her at this sudden force, hands moving to grip his shoulders, the breast he had been fondling now sticky with her breastmilk, but that wasn't what bothered her. What bothered her was his insistent teasing. Pulling his lips from hers, he kissed along her jawline, giving a few harsh nibbles here and there, his hips thrusting forward, pushing past her entrance without warning, hushed, pleasured moans coming from both of them. His head pressed against her neck while his hips began to slowly move, littering her skin with bruises from his teeth, each whimper she made setting him closer and closer to the edge. He wanted to strangle her, in the most romantic way possible. To _ruin_ her so she could only think of him for days, maybe even months.

"H-hah, Jack," She half-moaned, half-whimpered out, his thrusts growing more aggressive, sticky right hand moving to her throat, replacing his mouth. 

"What was that, Kitten?" He purred against her ear, grip tightening on her neck, stealing her breath. "What was my name?"  
"J-Jack," She moaned out breathlessly, hips moving with his, meeting every thrust he made. He chuckled lowly, grip tightening once her head tilted back, mouth opening to release nearly soundless moans.

"You're goddamned right," He whispered against her ear. "That's the name of who's going to _ruin_ you," he promised, his smirk plastering itself across his face at her desperate whimper, his thrusts growing more erratic, pounding into her petite frame, his grip tightening and loosening on and off, allowing her a few breaths of air, only to steal them away almost immediately after with his hips. He bit down on her earlobe, giving it a harsh - but not painful -, tug, his free hand moving to her thigh, positioning her hip further upward, chuckling darkly when her body arched, his tip hitting her innermost wall. He was fairly certain if he hadn't had pressure on her throat, she'd be screaming for him, and he wouldn't be wrong. Even though her moans were breathless and broken, he could see the bliss in her face. "Stay just like this, Kitten," He murmured to her demandingly, his hand moving between her thighs, thumb instantly finding her little, swollen button, rubbing it teasingly, smirking cockily when her body shuddered, right hand moving to grasp his wrist as a single, loud moan erupted from her, echoing off the walls while her left hand gripped the sheet next to her head, gripping it tightly, her eyes closing in euphoria. 

Moving his thumb faster, he applied a tiny bit more pressure, wanting to prolong her pleasure, savoring the feeling of her tight walls pulsating around him. She couldn't stop herself from gasping out, her hips moving with his thumb slowly, trying her best to keep them still despite her desire to move. There was nothing on her mind at that moment besides him, the way his heterochromatic eyes stared down at her hungrily, the soft grunts and moans easing past his lips, the tight grip on his throat, satisfying his sadistic desire. She shuddered.

He knew she was quickly reaching her climax, he could tell just from the way her eyes opened slightly, gazing up at him in a pleading manner, nails digging into his skin. "Cum for me, Honey," He breathed out his demand, sliding nearly his entire length out of her before slamming it back in all at once, watching as her body convulsed under him, trembling as she climaxed around him, his own not far behind, moaning when she grinding against him, thumb rubbing her clit even more aggressively, hand moving from her throat, indulging in her scream of pleasure as he filled her moments later, her body shaking against his, chest heaving, sticky and shiny from both sweat and her milk. "Gorgeous," He finally said lovingly, his sticky thumb grazing along her bottom lip, eyes gazing lovingly down at her, taking in her ravished appearance - her flushed, freckled face, heaving chest, grey eyes, glazed over in pleasure, neck and chest littered in _his_ marks.

She blushed furiously at his remark, a delighted sigh coming from her when he pulled himself from her, allowing her hips to rest against the bed, eyes fluttering open and closed, fighting off the exhaustion from the mindblowing orgasm she just had. "Go to sleep, Honey," He whispered against her once he took his place next to her, arms wrapping around her, holding her close. It'd be a lie if he said he wasn't also tired.

"But, 'm sticky," She mumbled out sleepily in protest, glancing over at him.

"We'll shower when we get up," He countered gently, hand grasping at her soft skin. She let out a protesting whine, but her exhaustion won her over, her body turning to rest against his chest, eyes shutting and body relaxing soon after. He kissed the top of her head gently, closing his own eyes, dozing off next to her not long after.

It was only an hour, hour and a half that they slept, Jesse already pinging on the door, alerting him of another meeting regarding Katagawa soon. He groaned loudly, rubbing his face slowly, his lips peppering her shoulder in soft kisses. "Kitten," He whispered against her, hearing her groggy groan of protest. "We have another meeting," He mumbled against her skin, his hand pawing at her side, massaging her skin slightly. She huffed, turning in his arms, staring up at him with her sleepy, blissful face, telling him right then that he'd definitely fucked her senseless - and he wouldn't be wrong to think that. That was easily one of the best orgasms she'd had with him in a while, and the familiar throbbing in her hips only verified it was real.

"Do we have to?" She whined, hands moving up his throat, smiling when he chuckled, his gaze harboring nothing but love toward her.

"Unfortunately, we do," He answered to her sweetly, his lips meeting hers in a rough, passionate kiss, a smirk flooding across his lips at her hushed moan. He didn't linger - he couldn't, he'd want her again -, moving away from her, laughing at her protesting groans. "Ya goin' to the meeting all sticky, Honey?" He teased, staring at her with an amused grin.

"No," She responded in a huff, moving to the edge of the bed, hanging her legs over the edge, a soft yawn coming from her as she covered her mouth. She squealed soon after, feeling his arms wrapping around her, carrying her off to the bathroom in his arms. "I could've walked," She argued, her hand running along his neck, fingertips dancing across a scar on his skin.

"Could ya?" He countered, grin widening at her flaring face. Setting her down on the edge of the tub, he programmed the settings on the screen on the tub, filling their bath with hot, bubbly water. While it was filling, he reached over, grabbing her hairbrush on the counter, carefully running it through her wavy, messy hair. She held a soft smile at his gentle, affection gesture, happily humming, her fingers trailing against a few scars on his abdomen. "Your hair's gettin' long again, Kitten," He mumbled out loud, chuckling at her fingers brushing against his scars like they've done so many times before. Before, he'd felt as if they were a burden on him, but now, they just felt like... Reminders of things that could've killed him, but didn't. Awards, for not dying, in a sense.

She stared up at him with a grin, her fingers dipping against the scarred skin on his hip, her grin only widening when he shuddered slightly. "Is it? I hadn't noticed, considering it's on my head, and a part of me, or anything. I thought it was staying short," She sarcastically teased, letting out a faint 'ouch' when he (lightly) smacked her head with the backside of her brush.  
"That smart mouth of yours is gonna get you in trouble, Pumpkin," He stated plainly, failing to hide his amusement, a smirk on his face when she tilted her head up with puffed-out cheeks, rubbing where he smacked her. It truly hadn't hurt her that badly and they both knew it. 

"Well, what do you expect when you give me the same attitude," She teased with a grin soon after, squeaking when he lifted her up suddenly, his hand swatting roughly against her rear cheek, leaving a vibrant red handprint. He chuckled lowly at her huff of defeat, his arms carefully lowering her inside of the tub before he slid in next to her, stretching his legs out around her. She stared daggers at him, crossing her arms over her chest, secretly enjoying the hot water and bubbles against her bruised skin.

"Don't look at me like that, Honey," He said with a playful smirk, his heterochromatic eyes watching her slide closer to him, his body tensing when her dainty hands gripped his muscular thighs. When she leaned close to him, she slid her hands up, caressing his chest, her face seemingly disinterested in him. He let out a noise of amusement, his eyes never leaving her unfaltering face, body tensing on and off when her hands touched him _just right_ , his skin feeling afire in the best way under her fingertips. Eventually, she slid closer to him, hands tangling in his hair, his head leaning back against them, staring at her, a sly grin breaking out across her face. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by her lips on his, his legs relaxing when she moved hers to straddle him, a faint chuckle escaping his lips. "Already, Pumpkin?" He whispered against her lips.

"No," She breathed against him, settling against him with a delighted hum, her soapy breasts rubbing against his soapy chest, head nuzzling against his neck. "I'm just still tired."

He let out a quiet chuckle once again, his hand caressing over the bruises he left on her hip earlier. He knew she was still tired, he could see it, and feeling her relax against him only proved it further. Saying nothing, he let her lay against him with her eyes closed, his right hand moving to reach above and behind him, pressing his hand on a slick panel, the sound of whirring coming soon after, producing shampoo, conditioner, and body wash on a slide our shelf near him. "Ya gonna bathe yourself or do I need to?" He asked gently, grabbing a washcloth off the shelf.

"Mm," She moaned against him, her hands moving across his shoulders, fingers grazing along a few scar indents along their way. "I can do it," She finally said, sliding her arms from around him, a soft yawn coming from. Pandora may have nine-year winters, but there are still cold temperatures here and there, and the nine-year mark was approaching - just five more years - and the hot water with the cool air wasn't helping her sleepiness any.

He arched a brow, staring at her wavering stance. "You sure about that? I think I might've fucked you out," He teased, setting the washcloth in her hand, chuckling when her face flared crimson.

"Maybe if _somebody_ had informed me there were more meetings," She countered, beginning to move off of his lap, only to be stopped by his hands. She raised a brow at him this time, her free hand resting against his shoulder.

He grinned at her with the biggest, shit-eating grin he could muster. "Revenge for this morning," He purred to her lowly, his hands caressing up her sides slowly, right hand snatching the fabric from her hand.  
She nearly snorted at his words. "Revenge? Oh, please. You know you enjoyed every minute of it," Her eyes watching as he lathered up the washcloth.  
"Heh, maybe I did, Kitten," He murmured to her, rubbing her chest carefully with the cloth. "It certainly friggin' caught me off guard," He added, enjoying the sight of her flushed face, her eyes watching him bathe her. He lifted her right hand in his, washing down her arm slowly.

"I could've bathed myself," She finally mumbled in protest, staring at him with an adorable - at least, it was to him - pout. He released a mindless 'hm', his soapy hands running over her stomach, a grin overtaking his lips when she shuddered ever-so-slightly. She huffed, feeling her face flaring a bright crimson once he reached her legs, cleaning them slowly. It wasn't weird or strange for him to be this intimate with her, however, it never failed to make her feel flustered, especially after their time earlier. To think, just a few months ago, he hardly trusted her enough for her to leech for the children without blistering him, but now, it barely phased him. He'd truly come far with her in their relationship, though, the regular jealousy spikes from both him or Rhys was nothing unusual - it just meant she needed to spend time with the other instead, an easy fix. She let out a startled moan once he grasped her breasts, giving her a firm squeeze. "What was that for?" She huffed, resting her hands against his shoulders.

"You went to another planet for a minute there, Honey," He spoked teasingly, fighting his playful smirk, his tongue flickering against his canines at the sight of her soapy body - and to think, she was all his (well, his _and_ Rhys's, but the point remained) -, enjoying the view. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by the ding of the elevator. "Goddamn, for his efficiency, he sure is extremely fucking annoying," Jack practically growled about his secretary, carefully sliding her off of his lap, climbing out of the tub once he rinsed himself off, having mostly bathed himself while she was in her own world. "Give me a minute," He said to her, wrapping a Hyperion-yellow towel around his waist, the sound of him arguing with his secretary echoing throughout the penthouse moments later. Choosing to ignore it and not eavesdrop, she finished bathing herself, her fingers trailing against the tender spots on her neck, a small smile on her face before she grabbed some shampoo, lathering it in her hair slowly - Jack may have bathed her, but she may as well wash her hair now, something told her she wouldn't be able to if not. Just as she rinsed the shampoo, then conditioner, out of her hair with the detachable showerhead, thankful the tub stayed programmed until it drained, he came stomping back in.

"Everything okay?" She asked, lowering the showerhead from her head - she was done rinsing her hair anyways. He seemingly didn't hear her as he grumbled to himself, digging around for some things in the room, leaving her staring at him in bewilderment. Cautiously, she stood up, using the showerhead to rinse any leftover bubbles off, grabbing a towel from the roll-out shelf, wrapping it around her curvaceous body, she carefully stepped out the tub, making her way over to him. "Baby," She said to him gently, her hand touching the mark on his back, moving when he jumped. She could feel his annoyance and anger in the back of her mind, she just couldn't figure out why.

"Ah, sorry, Pumpkin," He said sincerely, his anger seemingly dissipating at the sight of her. "Why don't you head down to the conference room and I'll be there shortly?" He asked, his hands gripping her waist, grasping at her through her towel.

She arched a brow, her hands resting against his bare, damp chest. "I suppose I could," She started, her fingers tracing two different scars on his chest. "I should probably call Tim and see how our babies are doing, anyway," She added with a smile, seeing his grin burst across his lips. She closed her eyes when his lips met hers, returning his fevered kiss with one of her own. She broke their kiss, her left hand moving to cup his cheek, thumb grazing along his strong cheekbones. "I'll see you downstairs, Daddy," She whispered to him, grinning when his eyes darkened for a split second, a predatory smirk growing across his lips.

Had Jesse not disturbed them, their bath time undoubtedly would've ended with a third-round, but damn him for wanting an efficient assistant this time. His eyes stayed on her, taking in her figure while she dug in the drawer for a pair of panties - a part of him glad he'd prepared excessively for their stay and future stays by stocking the rooms with his clothes and hers - plus some for John and Annalise in case they'd come with them. Once she found a pair she was satisfied with, she unwrapped her towel, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head at the view when she bent over, sliding her panties on slowly, purposely wiggling her ass, feeling his eyes burning into her. He chuckled lowly, rubbing his chin, taking a few strides over to her, his large hand groping her rear roughly.   
"Keep your teasing up and we'll have to miss the meeting," He whispered to her, smirking at her breathless moan, his fingers massaging her toned ass. 

"That'd be a lot more interesting than actually attending it," She murmured back with a wink, playfully biting her lip the way he liked it, her heart pounding in her ears at the low growling noise he made, her head tilting away from his when he nosed the side of her neck, inhaling her smell. "But, I have a feeling we'll be interrupted if we're late again," She finally added with disappointment, her hand reaching to run through his hair, cheek pressing against his forehead.

"Mmhmm," He grunted out, his arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her flush against him. 

"Plus, you need to finish showering," She continued, massaging his scalp lightly, knowing how much he enjoyed it.

He let out a low groan from the feel of her fingers, enjoying the tender attention he was getting. She'd learn this was something he and Tim shared - they both loved to have their hair played with; and the way she found out was definitely a surprise. She'd grown used to Tim laying on her lap, ranting and raving about the old missions Jack would send him on (and how hellish the casino was), sometimes get emotional about his mother, only to hush when her fingers would run through his hair, relaxing him. He'd close his eyes and relax to her touch, or watch the twins flail around on the floor in front of them. One day, though, Jack had caught her off-guard, switching places with Tim after a long week, wanting a day to himself with the babies. She offered for him to lie on her legs again and she'd play with his hair, to which he (reluctantly) agreed, more or less caught off-guard by the fact that she let his doppelganger do such a thing. Once he'd laid down on her legs, he stared up at her and knew that she knew he wasn't Tim. 'Missed me that much?', she had asked, and he just grinned a shit-eating grin at her, closing his eyes when her fingers ran through his brown and gray hair, massaging his scalp lightly. Ever since he'd always passively ask for it without actually asking, and she nearly always obliged (despite his overwhelming urge to murder Timothy for doing such a thing with her, to begin with).

"If this is a weird, fevered dream, I never want to wake up," He finally mumbled against her, his arms trapping her close against him. She chuckled awkwardly, but he shrugged it off, his rough hands caressing along her smooth skin. 

"If it is, I'm sure you'd find me all over again," She answered, which did actually strike him as odd this time, his body tensing slightly.

"Is this a dream?" He asked slowly, pulling away from her.

"Is it?" She repeated his question, staring at him with her grey eyes. Opening his mouth to say something, she cut him off before he could speak, "I should probably get dressed and head to the conference room. You still need to shower, after all."

"Adelia," He pressed, gripping her arm when she shifted away from him.

"Jack," She answered, staring at him.

"Answer me."  
"I can't," She responded honestly. "Let's just enjoy what we have now, okay?" She smiled at him, shrugging out of his stunned grip. He'd known since he met her that there was something off about her, but now, he was even more unsure, and she felt it. "I don't know," She finally answered with a deflated smile. "Too many things are missing for me to answer you honestly," She mumbled, fishing a matching bra out of the dresser. "If it is," She paused, staring at him. "You know where to find me."

He felt his heart nearly stop at her words, his hand gripping the dresser a bit too tightly, nearly splintering the wood. Of course it wasn't real, nothing good in his life was. _But was that really a bad thing, right now?_ He thought to himself, watching as Adelia slipped her bra on, buttoning up her yellow shirt, flashing a breathtaking smile to him. Although hesitant, he relaxed his grip, if it was fake or a dream, she had a point. He could find her again. He _would_ find her again. There's no way she wasn't real, and he made a mental note to remember to check Rhys and himself if - and when - he woke up fully in reality again. But for now, he wanted to spend his time with her, with his son. If it was a dream, he truly didn't want to wake up. To have to go through everything he's gone through again. His eyes watched her as she slid her black, pencil skirt up, his hands replacing hers to zip it up.

"Well," He breathed, kissing the nape of her neck. "I'll just have to find you all over again, Honey," He whispered against her skin, chuckling when she shivered. She felt so real in his arms. So warm. So... perfect. 

She turned in his harms, her small, gentle hands cupping his cheeks, "Jack," She started uneasily, her thumbs dancing against his cheeks. She had wondered for a while now if this was just a fevered dream and their consciouses were linked to one another by the artifact slammed into his face since she seemed to be missing days more and more frequently. Time went by incredibly fast, even by her standards. There were things that came from her mouth that weren't true, things that Jack or Rhys had imagined she'd say that she would say - a lot of it was true, in a sense, just not exactly in the way she'd tell them. It was how they seemingly imagined it going down. And, the events... That could've easily been her visions foretelling the future. She just didn't understand why Rhys was apart of it, perhaps he came across an artifact and touched it around the same time Jack had his smashed into his face? It was likely. They were scattered all throughout the universe, it wouldn't be hard to stumble on one. It'd also make sense, given that, if it were just their conscious linked, Rhys was more active with her when he was asleep and vice versa for Jack. And, when they were both asleep, then...

"Don't," He whispered softly, his right hand cupping her cheek, left one staying planted on her side, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I'll always find my way back to you, Kitten, you have my word," He purred to her lowly, a small smile creeping across her lips, right hand sliding to the back of his neck while her left gripped his shoulder once their lips met in the middle. He caressed her cheek with his thumb, left arm moving up to protectively and possessively hold her against him, hand gripping her shoulder, pulling her closer to him, holding onto her as if his life depended on it. At that moment, nothing more mattered to her than the here and now, her grip on him growing tighter, a faint moan escaping her lips. His words meant far more to her than he knew, her body pressing against him, needing to feel him, to confirm he was really there. "Fuck the goddamn meeting," He whispered raspily against her lips, his hand sliding down, unzipping the skirt he'd just zipped up for her, his hand shoving it from around her hips. She slowly moved herself to her tiptoes, their kiss only joining again once he lifted her up, carrying her over to the bed with her legs wrapped tightly around him, hands sliding into his hair, fingertips massaging his scalp. 

Lying her back on the bed, his hands navigated their way across her body, stopping only when they reached her buttons, his heterochromatic eyes gazing down at hers. Suddenly, she seemingly shifted uncomfortably underneath him, her eyes widening at the sound of another voice echoing. Rhys was awake right now, or she wouldn't have heard it. She's heard other voices countless times when she had been with Rhys, before losing a few days. "Jack," She whispered to him, her hands cupping his face. "Don't go to the Vault," She continually pressed on, his eyes closing as if he had a headache, a low groan escaping him, his arms wrapping tightly around her as if that would stop her from leaving him. "Find my-"  
Before she could finish, Jack awoke at his desk. On Helios. "Handsome Jack, Sir," Meg's voice rang through the intercom, leaving Jack rubbing his face slowly. It was all just a dream. But why hadn't he noticed sooner? 

"What?" He practically snapped back, his fingers trailing against his mask clips. They still weren't screwed into his face. Not yet. 

"The surgeon instructed for you to go down to the Medical Bay in a week for the clips," She responded shakily. "Is there anything else you need?" Jack glanced down at his desk, he needed to check on something. He just couldn't remember what it was. Who it was. However, his eyes landed on a sticky note hastily stuck to his desk with two names - Rhys Strongfork and Adelia. His brows furrowed together, trying to remember. "Sir?"

His eyes gave his arm a once-over, something had told him to check, and just under his tattoo, was a faint, blue mark. He stood up too fast, his chair almost falling behind him. "Rhys Strongfork," He finally said, his hands gripping the desk far too rough for it to be reasonable. "I want him here, now."

"Y-Yes, Sir," Meg responded, staying quiet, the intercom light slowly dimming. He racked his brain, trying to think of anyone else who had a close connection to her, his mind stopping on his favorite body double. Flicking his ECHO watch to life, he rang Timothy, who answered slower than he would've liked, the call turning into a video, revealing Timothy, half-naked in bed, covered in hickeys.

"Jack," Timothy said slowly and sleepily.

"Oh, come on, Timtam. Have some friggin' decency," He said, fingers massaging his temples. 

"It's not my fault you called this late, I do have a life of my own," Timothy replied grumpily, his eyes seemingly following someone behind the call.

"Yeah, _my_ life," He pressed, practically snarling. "Don't forget your contract."  
"What do you need, Sir?" He finally responded in defeat, rubbing his face slowly.

"Tell me," Jack started, slowly sitting down. "Does the name 'Alex' do anything to you?" He asked, watching as Timothy's eyes grew wide as saucers, a coy smirk flooding across his own face, his doppelganger's eyes shifting to the holo-call fully.

"N-"  
"Don't lie to me," He boomed out, slamming his hand on the desk, startling his twin.

"Yes," Tim finally admitted sheepishly.

"And, he's with you currently?" He mused, the cocky smirk ever-present on his face. "Actually, I already know he is," He added seconds later. "Who is Adelia?" He asked, speaking more directly to Alex.

"How do you know that name?" Alex finally spoke up, his voice smooth and whimsical, just like Adelia's had been. All the memories he'd lost were flooding back. The way she moved, the way she smiled at him, the way her eyes pierced through him. 

"Call it a fevered dream," Jack responded cautiously, knowing Alex had a temper like his own, and right now, he was his only lead. She'd told him not to go to the Vault. Where else could he go to find her? "How do you know her?" He continued, pausing when the doors opened, revealing a shaking Rhys. "Actually, hold onto that thought, come to my office. Preferably now," He glanced at Timothy, the poor boy was paler than a ghost.

"Yes, Jack," Timothy said, just as Jack ended the call, motioning to the two chairs in front of his desk. 

"Rhys," He said, glancing at the slender boy. "Take a seat."

"I swear I didn't know," Rhys mumbled quickly, cautiously taking a step, preparing to meet his end.

"Didn't know what, Kiddo?" He asked with an arched brow, reclining back in his chair a bit.

Rhys stared at him, shocked, hesitantly taking a seat in one of the chairs. "I didn't know it was an artifact when I touched it," He said slowly, keeping his bi-colored eyes off of Jack. "Sir."

He couldn't stop himself from releasing a hum. "Show me your arm." Rhys stared at his command but started to lift his cybernetic arm. "The other one, dum-dum." Blushing furiously at his mistake he picked up his left hand, holding it out to Jack, rolling the sleeve up slowly, revealing that, yes, he also had a small line on his wrist, exactly like Jack's. But even further, there was a blast radius up his arm, mimicking the way he had been marked for Adelia in his dream, but more... Sloppy.

"So," Jack started slowly, waving his arm away with a wave of his hand. "You touched an artifact in the mining operation. And it exploded?" 

"Y-Yes, Sir," He answered, taking a shaky gulp. "I-I filed a report when I woke up in the Medbay."

He rubbed his chin slowly, staring down Rhys with burning, bi-colored eyes, a slight grin on his face at how the young man was fidgeting beneath his stare. Opening his mouth to speak, he shifted his gaze to the door just as it opened, revealing Timothy and...

His breath stopped at the sight of Alex. He looked like Adelia, just, manlier. Black hair tossed all about, grey eyes burning into him from afar, the pale skin mirroring hers, and the way he walked was certainly nothing short of the cockiness she held as they made their way into the office. Rhys sheepishly stood up. "Sit," He said, not even glancing at Rhys, who quietly obeyed, taking his seat again.

"You must be Alex," Jack spoke cautiously, his eyes flickering to Tim, who fidgeted under his stare, clearly terrified at the broken part of their contract, however, Jack would let it slide. For now.

"And you must be Jack," Alex answered, crossing his arms across his chest, staring down at the seated male, shifting a gaze over at Rhys, a gaze that clearly scared Rhys shitless by the way he withered under the glare. "Who's this?"

"Don't worry about it," He responded, standing up, and, just as in his dream, Alex had nearly half a foot on him. A sharklike grin grew across his lips, his hand holding out to the chair next to Alex, who just stood there, staring at him unamused.

"How do you know my mother?" Alex asked. Jack laughed to himself, taking a seat again. Alex clearly wasn't going to cooperate, he was stubborn from what he remembered. 

"Mother?" Jack mused, leaning forward on his desk.

"You said her name in the call."  
"Ah, you mean Adelia, correct?" He asked, seeing Alex scowl at him. "Mother, huh? In the sense of, she adopted you?"

"No," Alex shot back slowly. "In the sense of, she gave birth to me," He said slowly, his grey eyes twinkling in an emotion Jack couldn't figure out.

"What?" He breathed out, feeling as if someone had punched him in the stomach. That wasn't what he remembered.

"I'm curious how you know her name, let alone who I was," He pressed onward, hands pressing against Jack's desk, leaving Tim and Rhys to quietly fidget to themselves. Jack shared a cautious gaze with Alex, noting that he had freckles dangerously similar to how Adelia had, which meant, he probably wasn't lying. Then why..?

"She told me," He answered honestly, seeing Alex's face darken.

"Impossible," He responded, his guard flying up. "She's been dead for years."

"Dead..?" Rhys piped up quietly, covering his mouth almost instantly at Jack and Alex's heads whipping toward him.

"Rhysie," Jack started, "Do you recognize the name?"

"Yes," Rhys answered sheepishly, flushing under all the attention he was getting.

Alex's jaw tensed, his hand flying to grab Jack's mask before the older man could react, ripping it off with ease. "Sonofa-" Jack hollered, holding his throbbing face, his white eye shifting against the light hurriedly, trying to adjust, the clips clattering to the floor by his desk.

"You-" Alex breathed out, Rhys letting out a startled gasp at the scar engraved in his face. "You were marked," He finally said, his hand dropping the mask on the desk, taking a step back. Jack moved his hand off his face slowly, his blue eye burning into Alex, rage building up.

"I'll fucking kill you," He breathed lowly, hand already reaching for his pistol, getting to his feet in a threatening manner, the tension in the room sharp as a knife.

Alex's eyes were wide at the sight, his grey eyes taking in Jack's mark, his bloodied lips that never fully recovered, not yet, anyway. Just as Jack placed his finger on the trigger, Timothy hurried over to him, " _Stop,_ " Adelia's voice rang out desperately in Jack's head, freezing him where he stood, the pistol dropping out of his hands.

He clenched his jaw at the sudden pain in his head, Rhys seemingly having the same headache as he whimpered in his chair, hands holding his head. Alex hesitantly stepped over to Rhys, his eyes locking on the glowing arm, already having taken note of Jack's glowing mark. Yanking Rhys's arm less than delicately, his hands pulling the sleeve up. "You, too," He breathed out, nearly collapsing at the thought, Tim holding him up. 

_"Tell him to take you to our place_ ," Her voice rang out again in Jack and Rhys's heads, both of them holding their heads this time. 


	35. Chapter 35

_**Pandora (12:45 PM)**_  
Alex hesitantly glanced at Jack behind him, watching him glance around, an unreadable frown on his face. Jack had sent Rhys back to his position, saying he'd let him know if he had any news later, and, Rhys happily complied, not sure what to make of what just happened - Tim, on the other hand, stayed on Helios for Jack, more than worried about what'd happen to him and Alex. Walking toward the cave entrance Adelia had brought both of them to numerous times, Alex placed his hand on the rock, and, within seconds, the rock moved, revealing the oasis Rhys and Jack had seen in their dream, only this time, it was far larger, and far more vibrant with fauna and wildlife. Alex took a step in, freezing at the sound of a soft voice echoing throughout the cave, singing sweetly to the skags in front of her.

"Mom..?" He called out hesitantly, seeing her head turn. Jack nearly collapsed at the sight of Adelia, his eyes taking in her curvaceous figure from behind. Instead of the white, perfect condition dress he'd remembered her in, she was wearing a white, sleeveless dress, beads adorning her forearms and wrists. The dress was fairly sheer but showed nothing that shouldn't be shown, the ruffles flowing down her body elegantly, the beds, mirroring the ones on her arms, twinkling in the light, however, there were singe marks across the fabric, random, bloody tears across it. Her vibrant, blue markings were visible across her entire body, just as he had remembered them. Cautiously, Jack descended the stairs, his abandoned on his desk back on Helios - he hadn't had enough time to glue the clips back on, and, right now, he had other things on his mind.

"I thought-" Alex choked sobs could be heard now, his face nuzzling against her.

"I know, sweetie," Adelia cooed to him softly, hands running through his hair. 

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He breathed through his sobs, hugging her tightly. 

"I wasn't strong enough," She answered just as softly, still comforting her son. Once Jack reached them, she shifted her gaze over to him, "Jack," She whispered breathlessly, feeling Alex's grip tighten on her, pulling her away from Jack. "It's okay," She cooed to Alex, running her dainty hand through his black hair. Now that they were next to each other, Jack could clearly see that Alex was, in fact, her son. Matching freckles adorned Alex's body from what he could see under the white shirt he was wearing, their skin tones nearly identical, grey eyes matching, and their hair. Her hair was just as he'd remembered - long, curly, and flowing around her. But his eyes locked on Alex's left arm, seeing markings daringly similar to Adelia's, just not as covering. 

"He's your son?" Jack finally asked gently, his face softening. " _Actual_ son?"

"I wanted to tell you," She answered, slowly getting to her feet, adjusting her mid-thigh dress, beads making a soothing noise as they clicked together. "I was limited in what I could say and portray. I could only say or do what you two wanted me to say, and in the rare instances, I could tell you the truth. I just never had the chance," She explained, blushing furiously when Jack reached out, taking her small hands in his large ones. He didn't appreciate the lies she had told him, but if what she was saying was the truth, he couldn't truly be angry with her, especially after she'd told him where to find her. "When the artifact was smashed in your face and the other in Rhys's arm, all three of our consciouses were linked all together. I could only say what you two allowed me to."

"What about Dad?" Alex spoke up lowly, ready to yank Adelia away.

She tensed in Jack's grip, turning to face Alex. "Alex..." She started, mulling over her thoughts, debating on whether or not she should tell him the truth. "You never had a father," She answered slowly. "I made you, myself, just like I made everything else here. I didn't want a mate then," She paused, squeezing Jack's hands, a shy smile treading across her face. 

"But what about-"  
"That was your grandfather," She cut him off with her response. "My father."

"That explains why you never did anything with him beyond dancing," He mumbled, his face turning a bright crimson at the thought. Jack couldn't help but grow a sharklike grin. She still liked dancing. "But, how?"  
"I wanted to get the elders off my back and I figured having a child would do that," She answered with a nonchalant shrug. "I just didn't want the whole," She paused, gesturing, Jack fighting back a chuckle. "Relationship bullshit."

"Ah-ah, language," Jack purred to her, his hand gripping her shoulder lightly. She rolled her eyes, shooting him a playful glare, and only then, did he realize how exhausted she looked. Her pale skin looked even paler with the dark bags under her eyes, a tired smile on her face. He vaguely remembered Rhys warning him that she was exhausted the first time she left the Vault for him, and then proceeded the routine after her second stasis.

"But how did you survive?" Alex pressed, his brows knitting together. "All I remember was you carrying me to the Vault and..." He paused, looking uneasy. 

"I'm not that easy to kill," She answered with a small, tired smile. "I easily overpowered her."

"Do you," Jack paused, his hand reaching for her cheek, reveling in the fact that she hadn't even flinched. "Do you still have the scar?" He asked softly, his finger brushing under her long bangs.

"Yes, among others," She answered honestly, keeping her gaze on him when he brushed her hair upward. Just as he remembered it, the circular scar was still on her forehead. "She tried to out leech me," She finally continued, breaking her gaze off of Jack. "Grabbed my head and tried to hold me down, but I managed to get a hand on her."

"Did you..." Alex took a shaky gulp. "Did you kill her?"

"I didn't have a choice," She said honestly, her face twisting a bit. "She killed everyone else except her daughter. She was going to kill you." He reluctantly nodded, shifting a weary gaze to Jack. "You'll find you two are more alike than you think," She added with a smile, her face turning to Jack, patting his hand lightly.

"Until you forget your memories," He mumbled sheepishly, Jack's face morphing into a mixture of confusion and mortification.

"What?"

"If your consciouses were truly linked, then her being out and awake from stasis means everything you two had is gonna be, well," Alex snapped his fingers. "Gone by tomorrow. The only thing that'll remain is her memories of the visions she had while you two were," His face twisted into disgust at the thought. "Together."

"It's true," She finally spoke up, her face falling a bit. "I won't remember much of anything after today. Just my past and the visions. I'll know we were close, but... I won't know why. Or how close."

"It'll be like you have amnesia," Jack whispered, his heart shattering at her slow nod. "What was true, then? Do you really need two mates?" He asked, a small, glimmer of hope picking up in his chest.

"Two is ideal," Alex answered for her. "Only males can really survive with just one."

"So I have to share you again," He mumbled, his good eye staring down at her. "The uprising?"  
"That was true," She nodded. "My mother gave me her powers, as I had said. I made The Creator, and the uprising began not long after The Creator was corrupted into The Destroyer."

"Thank God it did," Alex mumbled behind her, rubbing the back of his head almost instantly when she shot him a glare. "What? You were going to be forcibly married off to an _asshole_."

"People died, Alex!" She sighed in exasperation, rubbing her tired face.

"Well, they sounded like real assholes, so was it really a loss?" Jack said.

"Thank you!" Alex exclaimed, throwing his hands out dramatically at him. "See? He wasn't even there!"

"You two are insufferable," She groaned, biting back a laugh.

Jack chuckled, his fingers trailing against the nape of her neck, a sly grin growing across his lips at her shudder. "So, how old are you, Kitten?" He asked softly. "Are you still twenty-something?"

"Wow, what a rude question to ask a lady," Alex teased, sticking his tongue out at Jack when the older man glowered at him.

"I'm twenty-five," She answered, ignoring Alex's remark. "Not sure why you or Rhys imagined me so young," She added with a playful smile.

"Fairly certain I didn't, Honey," Jack answered, his hands caressing across her smooth skin, enjoying the feel of her physically being in his arms, smiling sweetly at her crimson face. "But, wait, if that was just... predictions, does that mean Angel's..?"

"She's still alive, yes," Adelia answered. "And hasn't started the Eridium treatments you wanted her to, yet."

"Then..."  
"Go talk to your daughter, Jack," She said to him, her hands cupping his face softly, a faint, blue glow coming from her hands as the vision in his green eye slowly came back, the pain in his scar subsiding drastically, leaving just a minor burn from the skin healing. "I can't remove the mark without removing the failsafe," She whispered to him, her face even more exhausted than it was before. "But you should be able to see."  
"You didn't have to-"  
"I _wanted_ to," She cut him off, her thumb trailing against the bottom of his mark, giving him a soft smile, one that made his heart pound in his ears. "I know I won't even remember how I feel about you tomorrow, but right now, I know that I love you, Jack," She whispered to him, her thumbs grazing against his cheekbones. 

He hummed in quiet delight, his hands moving to cup her cheeks, tilting her head upward, his lips pressing needily to hers, unable to stop himself from relishing in how soft her lips felt against his. He shuddered when her left hand gripped the back of his neck, her right hand gripping his hair ever so slightly. His right arm wrapped around her back, pushing her closer to him, his left hand staying cupped in her face as their heads tilted, deepening their kiss. She broke their kiss first, her grey eyes standing out against her vibrantly flushed face. "I love you, Honey," He whispered to her gently, his heterochromatic eyes taking her features in slowly. Just as he remembered, that heart-shaped face was fitted perfectly with those almond eyes and button nose, those damned, nearly-transparent eyes gazing at him with nothing but love and adoration, and those rosy lips, beckoning him for more. 

"Go to Angel, Jack," She murmured to him. "I'll make sure Alex gets me to Helios."  
"Stay in my office until I get back," He stated just as gently, his calloused thumb caressing her cheek. "Please."  
"I will, I promise," She responded, smiling at him. And, although reluctant, Jack pulled away, his hands gripping hers lightly, before he turned, walking back to the entrance to meet the Loader Bot he had deployed to carry him here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short ending, I know, but I promise there will be a sequel. uwu  
> I hope you guys enjoyed it! I'll definitely be rolling out the sequel sometime within the next week (or at least the first chapter).  
> Of course, as I had stated before, I will be doing a spin-off of Alex and Timothy's relationship, probably while I'm working on the sequel to write about how they met, what the uprising was really like, etc.  
> Also, I will be going back and editing things here and there and do eventually plan to rewrite the whole thing!


End file.
